Haunted Eyes
by Jacen200015
Summary: After killing the sandpeople, Anakin discovers someone watching him.AU, AOTC and beyond. AnakinPadme, ObiWanSiri, Ben. Time travel.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Haunted eyes**  
Author: **jacen200015**  
Timeframe: **AOTC and beyond**  
Characters: **A/P, Obi-Wan, Ben**  
Genre: **AU**  
Keywords: **Anakin, AU**  
Summary: **After killing the sandpeople, Anakin discovers someone watching him**  
Notes/Disclaimer: **I don't own anything in the Star Wars universe and I am not making any money off of this. There are a couple of lines borrowed from the AOTC novel also.

"What have you done?"

Anakin, still seething with anger, turned around, searching for the source of the voice. All he saw were the corpses of all the sandpeople he had killed.

"Killing won't take away the pain." The voice spoke again.

Irritated, Anakin stormed into all of the still standing huts, searching intensely for the speaker.

"Is this what she would have wanted?"

"Who are you!" Anakin shouted. "Show yourself!"

"I know what it is like." The speaker continued, ignoring Anakin's anger. "All…to…well."

Anakin breathed heavily, his blood pounding loudly in his ears. He looked past the former Tuskin camp and saw a short, solitary figure wearing an oversize black cloak with a hood covering his head. Striding toward the unwelcome intruder, Anakin soon found himself slowing the closer he got. The person was short, about the size of a twelve or thirteen year old would be if the person was human. Clasping the handle of his lightsaber, Anakin stood before the person and looked down.

Small human hands emerged from the sleeves of the cloak and pushed back the hood.

The person was a human male child about eight or nine years old. He had unruly red hair that reached his ears, and light freckles were scattered across his cheeks. The boy's eyes though betrayed that he had seen more then a child his age should ever be allowed to see. His blue, dull eyes looked into Anakin's own and without consciously realizing it, Anakin stepped back a step.

"What have you done?" The boy asked again and then collapsed in a heap.

Anakin hooked his lightsaber to his belt and cautiously approached the boy. Using the Force, Anakin probed the boy's mind and encountered strong mental shields. Yet the shields could not hide the fact that the boy was Force sensitive. Gathering the boy in his arms, Anakin picked him up and was surprised at how light the boy weighed. "Who are you?" Anakin asked in a whisper, looking at the boy's face.

Unsettled by the boy's appearance, Anakin went to make preparations for his return to the Lars homestead.


	2. Chapter 2

Anakin arrived at the Lars homestead a little later that morning with Shmi's body and the young boy he had found. Anakin got off the speeder bike with the boy in his arms. Seeing Owen, Anakin gestured to Shmi's body, silently asking Owen to take her.

Owen nodded and solemnly went to recover Shmi's body and bring it into the homestead.

Padme approached Anakin, briefly glancing at the boy Anakin held in his arms. "Who is he?"

Finding his voice, Anakin replied. "I don't know. Glancing at the sleeping boy's face Anakin continued. "He was just standing outside the sandpeoples camp." Without another word Anakin carried the boy inside, and Padme had him put the boy in the room she had slept in that night.

Padme watched as Anakin pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat down, keeping silent vigil over the boy. Curious, but feeling that Anakin wanted to be alone, Padme left the room.

Anakin brushed the boy's red bangs away from his face, thinking. The boy shifted on the bed but did not wake up. Anakin watched as the boy's peaceful face contorted, as if he were in pain, and then relax a few seconds later.

i_What have you done?_/i

The boy's words haunted him, bringing tears to his eyes as he relived the memory of what happened in the Tuskin camp. Burying his face in his hands, Anakin quietly cried.

"It hurts doesn't it….when we can't save….the people we love."

Anakin wiped his face with his hand and looked at the boy who was looking at him with haunted eyes. "Who are you?"

The boy took a deep breath and responded. "My name…is not important."

Anakin placed his hand on the boy's forehead and found it burning with the heat of fever. "You're not well."

Giving a weak smile, the boy responded. "There are….worse things."

Standing up, Anakin headed for the door. "I'm going to get some medicine for you. I'll be right back."

A few minutes later Anakin returned with a bowl of water, a cloth, a glass of water and two pills on a tray. Helping the boy sit up, Anakin handed him the pills and the water. "Swallow this," he instructed.

The boy complied and swallowed the pills and drank the water. After the water was finished, the boy laid back down and Anakin laid the cool, wet, cloth on the boy's forehead.

"Will it be alright if I put you in a Jedi healing trance?" Anakin asked.

The boy shook his head furiously. "No! I won't have….anything to do with…the Force."

Shocked by the boy's vehemence against the Force, Anakin carefully responded. "So you know about the Force?"

The boy turned his head away from Anakin and then answered. "Yes."

"Why do you hate it?" Anakin asked prodding as carefully as he could.

"It hurts." The boy whispered.

Puzzled, Anakin ventured another question. "Why does it hurt?"

The boy slowly answered. "So much death." Closing his eyes, the child drifted off to sleep.

Slowly the minutes drifted by and before long Anakin was fiddling with the cooler in the room that had ceased to work. Just as Anakin got it to work again, Padme entered the room with a tray of food.

"Are you hungry Anakin? I brought some food." Padme asked, keeping her voice low so that she wouldn't wake the child up.

Anakin closed the opening of the cooler and wiped his hands on his pants. "I'm good at fixing things, I always was until now." Anakin turned to look at Padme, tears in his eyes. "Why couldn't I save her?"

Padme knelt down beside Anakin as he bent his head down. "Things change Anakin, life changes."

"You can't stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting." Anakin added, remembering something his mother had told him long ago. "My mom told me that before I left with Qui-Gon." Wiping his eyes with his hand, Anakin looked up at Padme. "I miss her."

"What happened when you got to the Tuskin camp Anakin?" Padme asked.

Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Anakin told Padme what happened. "I snuck into the camp, and found the hut my mom was being kept in. I found her on a wooden frame and cut her free. She was badly beatened up. I call out to her and she woke up. I told her that I'll get her out of their and to hang on. She…" Anakin swallowed hard. "She told me that she is proud of me and that she missed me. She told me that she was complete. I begged for her to stay, to hang on, but she died in my arms as she was telling me that she loved me." Anakin looked away from Padme, tears steaming down his cheeks, his breathing ragged. "As the sun rose in the sky I…I."

Padme wrapped his arms around him, whispering words of encouragement to continue.

"I killed them. The men, the women, even the children. I killed them all. I hate them. They're like animals." Sobbing loudly now, Anakin managed to continue. "I shouldn't hate them…I don't want to hate them…its just I can't forgive them."

Padme gently rocked Anakin as he wept and they stayed this way for the next hour.


	3. Chapter 3

The boy silently watched as Padme comforted Anakin, his blue gaze watchful and wary.

Anakin wiped the tears away from his face and managed a small smile. "Thank you Padme, for being with me.

Padme smiled and stood up. "Anything for a friend." Picking up the tray Padme asked. "Are you sure you won't have something to eat?"

"I'm sure." Anakin replied, standing up to go sit on the chair.

Once Padme had left, the boy spoke. "She's nice."

Anakin turned to face the boy and placed his hand on the boy's forehead to check his temperature. "You feel a little bit cooler."

The boy scowled and crossed his arms, burying them in the deep folds of his cloak. "Or perhaps your hand is hotter."

"The scowl does not look becoming on you." Anakin remarked.

"And the heat on this planet is awful." The boy put in.

"Well you're sounding better." Anakin remarked, a small grin splitting his features.

The boy shifted around on the bed until his back was against the wall and he was directly facing Anakin. "For someone who disliked me before, you sure are caring now."

The smile faded from Anakin's face and he nodded slowly. "Yes. And I'm sorry I acted that way before. Even though I was still upset, I shouldn't have directed my anger at you."

"It is good to see your mistakes and admit them." The boy commented and then looked down to fiddle with the right sleeve of his cloak.

"Let's start over then. I am Anakin Skywalker."

"Ben." He stopped and looked up at Anakin. "Ben Jade."

"Ben, is there anyone I should contact to inform them where you are and that you're alright?" Anakin asked.

Ben looked down and tugged at the sleeve of his cloak. "No. I don't have anyone."

The sound of footsteps was heard and Anakin turned to see Owen in the doorway.

"We're ready to begin." Owen told Anakin, his voice laced with sadness.

Anakin nodded his head. "I'm coming."

Owen nodded and walked away and Anakin went to follow.

Ben got off the bed and followed right behind Anakin but was stopped when Anakin halted in the doorway, "You don't have to come with us." Anakin told him gently.

"I want to come." Ben answered.

"Very well then." Anakin responded and continued on.

They reached the gravesite where the others were already gathered, the grave already filled with sand over Shmi's lifeless body.

Ben silently watched as Owen, Beru, Cliegg, and then Anakin each gave parting words to Shmi. Ben listened intently as Anakin asked for forgiveness for his actions and swear a promise that he would continue to make her proud and will learn to control himself more.

After Anakin was finished, R2-D2 found them and began emitting a series of beeps and whistles.

"Artoo, what are you doing here?" Padme asked.

"It seems that he is carrying a message from an Obi-Wan Kenobi. Master Ani, does that name mean anything to you?" Threepio asked.

Anakin nodded, and without answering, he quickly headed for the ship, followed closely by Padme and Ben.

Entering the ship, Anakin headed straight to the cockpit, and when he got there he activated the message.

"Anakin, my long range transmitter has been knocked out. Retransmit this message to Coruscant." Obi-Wan told Anakin from the recorded message.

Padme sat down in the co-pilot's seat and reached over the controls to press a button to transmit the message.

"I have tracked the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the droid foundries on Geonosis." Obi-Wan continued. "The Trade Federation is to take taking delivery of a droid army here and it is clear that Viceroy Gunray... is behind the assassination attempts on  
Senator Amidala. The Commerce Guilds and Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku and are forming an... Wait!... Wait!" Obi-Wan is attacked by droidekas and then the hologram cuts off.

Agitated, Anakin begins to pace the cockpit and stops when Mace Windu speaks.

"Anakin, we will deal with Count Dooku. The most important thing for you is to stay where you are. Protect the Senator at all costs. That is your first priority." Mace instructed.

"Understood, Master." Anakin dutifully replied and the connection to the Council is cut.

"Are you really going to stay here while your Master is in danger?" Ben asked.

Looking at Ben, who looked small in his much to large cloak, Anakin answered. "I have my orders. I have bent them enough already."

"Anakin, Master Windu told you to stay where you are, not me. That means if I decide to go rescue Obi-Wan, you will have to come with me." With that said, Padme began to flick switches and push buttons."

"Windu would make a bad politician." Ben pointed out as he strapped in behind Padme.

Grinning, Anakin sat in the pilot's seat and took the controls. "You know what. You both are right."


	4. Chapter 4

Ben was awakened by the sound of the landing gear connecting with a hard surface. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Ben unbuckled himself.

"You are to stay here." Anakin told Ben

"I am not staying on this ship!" Ben responded defiantly.

Anakin ignored him and turned to face Threepio. "Threepio, keep an eye on Ben and make sure he does not leave the ship."

"As you wish Master Anakin." Threepio responded.

Anakin and Padme left the ship, leaving behind Ben and the two droids.

Artoo whistled and a few minutes later followed after them.

Ben rolled his eyes and walked behind Threepio as Threepio continued to fuss about Artoo's arrogance. Seeing the switch to turn Threepio off, Ben flicked it with his hand.

Smiling with satisfaction as Threepio fell silent, Ben took off his cloak, placed it on the chair behind the co-pilot's seat and left the ship.

For the next few hours, Ben scouted out the area, avoiding numerous droid patrols in the process. He stayed outside of the huge structures and instead went around them, if he could. He spent the night in a small cave he found and in the morning he continued on.

Later on in the day, Ben made his way into the arena and without using the Force, managed not to get caught. He peered into the arena and saw Anakin, Padme, and Anakin's Master fighting three large beasts. "What fun." Ben muttered sarcastically under his breath.

A couple of minutes later Anakin, Padme, and Anakin's Master were on the Reek and surrounded by droidekas. Anakin briefly turned his head in the direction where Ben was and frowned before looking back to where Count Dooku was overseeing their execution.

Ben muttered a few choice words under his breath at having been noticed by Anakin, but his irritation soon passed when Mace Windu appeared holding an ignited purple lightsaber at Jango Fett.

At Mace's signal dozens of other lightsabers ignited around the arena and everyone suddenly fell silent. Dooku and Mace exchanged words and then Dooku signaled for the droids to enter the arena, and then, hell erupted.

Ben ignited one of his two lightsabers and jumped into the fray. He immediately deflected three incoming blaster bolts, two flying back into the chest of their owners and one harmlessly into the air.

Ben made his way over to Anakin and soon was fighting back to back with Anakin.

"I thought I told you to remain on the ship?" Anakin remarked as he Force pushed a group of droids away from him and deflected blaster fire coming at him from the side.

"You did, but that doesn't mean that I have to listen." Ben replied, leaping forward and plunging his green lightsaber into a battle droid's chest.

Anakin shook his head in irritation and Force threw droids parts at some incoming droids. "You're to young to fight."

Ben's eyes darkened with anger and he viciously cut a droid in half. "I never had a choice."

"Everyone has choices." Anakin responded.

"Will you stop lecturing me!" Ben yelled, leaving Anakin's side to confront a group of battle droids that had a Jedi pinned down with blaster fire.

"Who is that kid?" Obi-Wan asked as he took up position behind Anakin.

Anakin decapitated a super battle droid and answered. "I found him on Tatooine. I had told him to stay on the ship, but apparently he didn't listen."

i_Sounds familiar./_i Obi-Wan thought to himself.

Not much later Ben, Padme, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Mace Windu, and the remaining Jedi from the strike team were herded to the center of the arena by the battle droids, the blaster firing temporally ceasing as the Jedi became more defensive. The Jedi held their lightsabers in a defensive position while the droids blasters were leveled at them.

Ben saw Count Dooku raise his hand and listened to the sound of the droids lowering their weapons.

From Dooku's observation spot Dooku spoke. "Master Windu! You have fought gallantly. Worthy of recognition in the history archives of the Jedi Order. Now it is finished." He monetarily paused before finishing. "Surrender – and your lives will be spared."

Ben snorted and continued to listen as Mace spoke.

"We will not be hostages for you to barter with, Dooku." Mace told Dooku firmly.

"Then, I'm sorry, old friend. You will have to be destroyed." Dooku responded.

"Wait!" Ben shouted. He managed to get in front of all the Jedi so that he could be clearly seen by Dooku.

Dooku again motioned with his hand for the droids to lower their weapons and looked with humored interest at the boy. "Aren't you a little young for battle boy? What did you think you would find? It isn't what you expected is it?"

Ben disengaged his lightsaber, his voice loud and controlled as he spoke. "Don't speak to me as if I am an innocent child. I have fought before, I have seen death and bloodshed. I am more mature then I should be because of that." Ben felt Anakin's hand on his shoulder, urging him to stop. "Leave the Jedi alone. I offer myself in their place."

Before Dooku could reply though, gunships descended quickly from the air and landed around the survivors. Clone troopers poured out of the gunships and created a barrier between the Jedi and the droids.

The Jedi began to race for the gunships as the arena once again erupted in the sounds of battle.

Anakin grabbed Ben roughly by the arm and pulled him onto one of the gunships. The gunship they were on lifted off, firing at droids as it went. "What do you think you were doing!" Anakin shouted once they were airborne.

Ben rubbed his arm where Anakin had grabbed him and glared at Anakin. "I was saving your behinds, that's what!" Ben snapped angrily.

Obi-Wan turned and looked at them. "This is no time for arguing. Wait until after the battle."

Anakin slowly nodded, anger, mixed with fear still simmering within him. Focusing on the task at hand, Anakin began to issue out a series of orders.

Meanwhile, Padme had gone over to Ben who was quietly crying.

"Aim right above the fuel cells!" Anakin ordered as they flew near the base of an enemy ship.

The lasers from the gunships hit their target and the techno union ship began to fall.

"Good call. Those Federation starships are taking off. Target them quickly." Obi-Wan praised, following it with another order.

One of the gunships fired at a starship that was taking off but did not do any apparent damage.

Anakin shook his head and looked over at Obi-Wan. "They're too big, Master. The ground troops will have to take them out."

Onward they fought, doing as much damage they could to the Trade Federation forces and their allies.

The gunship was fired at from behind and a speeder driven by Count Dooku swept by them.

"Look over there..." Obi-Wan told Anakin when he spotted the person in the open cockpit of the speeder.

"It's Dooku! Shoot him down!" Anakin commanded.

"We're out of ordinance, sir." The clone pilot announced.

Frustrated, Anakin then ordered, "Follow him!"

"We're going to need some help." Padme remarked as the gunship shook from the blasts from two fighters guarding Dooku's speeder.

"No, there's no time. Anakin and I can handle this." Obi-Wan responded.

Padme nodded in acknowledgement and went back to rubbing Ben's back as she held him in her arms.

Being that the gunship was slower then the speeder, they arrived at the hanger minutes after Dooku had landed.

Anakin quickly followed Obi-Wan out of the ship, leaving Padme alone to take care of Ben.


	5. Chapter 5

"Going somewhere Dooku?" Anakin asked as they approached Dooku.

Dooku looked at Anakin and smiled. "And miss a chance for a duel with the Chosen One? There will be plenty of other opportunities." Dooku turned his back on them and walked towards his ship.

Anakin shifted his feet impatiently, but for the first time in a really long time, Anakin waited for his Master's instruction.

"Approach slowly on the right, I'll go the other way. Dooku will expect you to move first Anakin, be wary." Obi-Wan instructed as he began to move to the left.

Anakin nodded and did as his Master said.

Dooku stopped midstep and looked at Anakin. "I'm disappointed Anakin. I would have thought that you would have attacked by now."

"You will find that I am full of surprises Dooku." Anakin answered, a tiny quirk on his lips as he managed to bring a large chunk of rock down from the ceiling at Dooku.

Dooku moved to avoid the rock and then Anakin attacked, Obi-Wan following not far behind.

Blades clashed and loose objects flew as the combatants fought.

Ben woke up from his light doze and quickly moved away when he saw Padme. Annoyed that she had seen him cry, Ben quickly dried his tears and ran his hand through his mussed up hair. Noticing that they were alone in the gunship with only two clones for company, Ben looked at Padme. "Where's Anakin?"

"Anakin and Obi-Wan went to capture Dooku. They'll be back soon." Padme responded in a light reassuring voice.

Nodding his head, Ben began to walk down the gunship's ramp.

"Where are you going?" Padme asked.

"Nowhere." Ben muttered and continued on.

Padme followed him, checking to make sure her blaster was ready.

Ben arrived inside the hanger just in time to see Anakin be Force pushed against the wall and Obi-Wan get up from the other side of the room.

Dooku sensed Ben's presence and smiled at him. "Ah. So nice of you to drop by. I was just about to leave."

"You aren't going anywhere." Ben declared with steely resolve in his voice.

Dooku nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. Not without you."

"I'm afraid that is not an option Dooku." Obi-Wan responded as he stepped in front of Ben who was now scowling in irritation.

Anakin had recovered from his brief dizziness and was watching Dooku intently. "You can't win Dooku."

"Maybe not today, but someday I will." Dooku mockingly bowed and headed up the ramp of his ship. Behind his ship, dozens of superbattle droids appeared, firing as they went.

Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ben fought off the droids with Padme giving blaster support, but by the time they were finished, Dooku's ship was long gone.

Ben stepped over a broken body of a droid, clipping his lightsaber to his belt as he did so.

"What did you think you were doing?" Anakin asked Ben, stepping in front of him.

Ben looked up at Anakin, his face expressionless. "I do not answer to you!" Turning his back on him, Ben walked away.

"I sense a lot of anger in him." Obi-Wan commented as he stood next to Anakin.

Anakin snorted and crossed his arms. "That is obvious."

"You're distracted. I had half expected that you would attack Dooku without listening to me first." Obi-Wan stated, looking at Anakin questioningly.

"The thought had crossed my mind." Anakin confessed, continuing to watch Ben. "There is something about Ben that bothers me, something in his eyes that I can't discern."

Obi-Wan looked toward Ben who was staring out of the hanger bay opening. "We'll take him to the Temple with us and see what the Council has to say."

"He'll just be sent to the agricorps Master. I don't see how bringing him before the Council is going to do anything for him." Anakin remarked.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully and then answered. "Not if someone speaks up for him."

"You?" Anakin suggested.

Chuckling, Obi-Wan looked back at Anakin. "You are the one who found him."

"The Council won't listen to me. In their eyes I'm still considered---"

"Anakin," Obi-Wan interrupted. "The Council may think what they will, but they will still have to consider your request. If you want, I will support you in your request."

Anakin was quiet for a few minutes before speaking. "They won't go for it. Whereas I had fear, Ben has an abnormal amount of anger in him."

"I'm sure you will make it a point of telling the Council the consequences of what may happen if the Sith gets their hands on him." Obi-Wan stated. "You can do it."

Grinning, Anakin looked at Obi-Wan. "Thank you Master. That means a lot coming from you." Sensing a shift in the Force, Anakin looked to its source just in time to see Ben crumple to the ground.

Anakin and Obi-Wan rushed to Ben's side and Anakin gathered Ben into his arms.

Ben's face was pale, his breathing rapid and shallow and his whole body was trembling violently.

"He's having a panic attack." Obi-Wan stated, recognizing the symptoms. He reached out with the Force to use it to calm Ben down, but was violently rebuffed.

Holding Ben tightly but gently in his arms, Anakin spoke soft, soothing words to Ben.

After a couple of tense minutes, Ben's trembling ceased and his whole body relaxed. Ben opened his eyes briefly, looked into Anakin's own and then drifted closed as Ben fell asleep.

Obi-Wan felt Ben's forehead and found it hot to the touch. "He's burning up."

Anakin frowned at this. "I gave him some medicine on Tattooine because of a fever he was running, but it broke before we left."

"Odd. Do you know of anything that may have triggered his panic attack?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Ben hates the Force. He told me that it hurts. I'm not sure if something Force related triggered his panic attack, but that's the only think I can think of."

Puzzled, Obi-Wan asked another question. "How was he able to participate in the battle then?"

"I don't know. I could feel the Force massing and swelling in him as he fought. It was like he was being guided, but did not fully accept the Force at the same time."

Obi-Wan took one of the boy's hands into his hands and rubbed his thumb over the boy's palm. "Maybe he was reacting on instinct, and it was only after he realized that he had touched the Force that he had his panic attack."

Anakin shrugged. "It's possible." Picking Ben up, Anakin and Obi-Wan headed for the gunship where Padme was busy talking with Yoda who had arrived a few minutes ago.

Yoda finished talking with Padme and turned to the two Jedi who bowed in respect. "Glad to see you both safe and well I am."

"Thank you Master Yoda." Obi-Wan replied with a small incline of his head. "How is the battle progressing?"

"Winning we are, but escaped Dooku has." Yoda responded.

While Obi-Wan and Yoda talked, Anakin boarded the gunship and sat down. Closing his eyes, Anakin managed to slip in a light meditation trance. When he came out of it, the gunship had arrived at Padme's ship.

Ben continued to sleep in Anakin's arms and did not stir when Anakin tucked him into bed. Anakin observed Ben for a few seconds before switching off the light and heading to the cockpit where Obi-Wan was preparing the ship for takeoff. "Where's Padme?"

"She went to get some sleep." Obi-Wan answered as Anakin sat in the co-pilot's seat.

"Oh." Anakin leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. "You're not upset with me are you Master?"

Obi-wan brought the ship into the air and they flew toward space. "Upset no. Irritated yes. Must you always come to my rescue?"

Anakin shrugged his shoulders. "It's a Padawan's prerogative to get their Master's out of trouble."

The ship entered hyperspace and Obi-Wan looked at Anakin. "You do realize that makes the Masters job a lot harder in keeping their padawans out of trouble."

"I'm sure you were the same way as a Padawan Master." Anakin replied, opening his eyes and smiling at his mentor.

Obi-Wan gave an undignified snort and got up out of his chair and headed out of the cockpit. "So it seems."

Anakin followed Obi-Wan to the small ship's lounge and sat down in a seat across from Obi-Wan. "Master, the reason I was on Tatooine…" Anakin paused, gathering his thoughts and willing himself to continue. "I had a nightmare about my mother again on Naboo. So Padme and I went to Tatooine and discovered that my mother was freed and married to Cliegg Lars. My mother had been captured by Tuskin Raiders a few weeks ago. There had been a rescue effort but it was unsuccessful so I went to go look for her. I found her in the Tuskin camp dying." Anakin took a deep shuddering breath as he continued. "She died in my arms. I…I lost control. I was angry at the Tuskins with what they had done to her, angry at myself for not being able to save her, for being to late. I touched the Dark Side Master."

Obi-Wan had moved from his seat to sit next to Anakin, concern hidden behind his mask of calm. "So you lashed out?" Obi-Wan prodded in a gentle voice.

"I killed them all Master. The men, the women, and the children. I know it was wrong. I know I'm better then that. I'm sorry Master." Anakin confessed, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Obi-Wan's heart twisted painfully as he felt the anguish in his padawan's voice, as he felt Anakin's tumult of emotions flow through the Force and their bond. "Anakin, look at me please."

Anakin looked up, but found it difficult to make eye contact.

"You know what you did was wrong and you feel guilty. You have touched the Dark Side, but you have not fallen. If you had then you wouldn't be feeling guilty. We all learn from mistakes we make, even if it is something major. We are not infallible Anakin. You are not the only person to touch or experience the Dark Side. I have, my own Master had, Master Windu has, and numerous others." Obi-Wan placed his right hand on Anakin's shoulder and continued. "I forgive you Anakin. I only wish I had been there with you or perhaps sent you to Tatooine earlier."

"Thank you Master." Anakin replied in a low voice. "I found Ben outside the Tuskin camp after I killed the Tuskins. He was just standing there in his oversized black cloak. I might not have noticed him if he had not spoken. I brought him back to the Lars homestead and later found out that he had no one to go to." Anakin explained.

Obi-Wan looked in the direction of the cabin Ben was sleeping in and asked. "Does he trust you?"

Anakin's forehead creased as he thought about it, finally he just shook his head. "I don't know."


	6. Chapter 6

Ben slowly woke up and stretched his arms and legs. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the palms of his hands, he got out of bed and headed for the door.

The ship was quiet and the only sounds heard were Ben's light footsteps. He went into the cockpit where he had left his cloak and put it on. He shivered, despite the warmth of his cloak and went into the ship's lounge.

Walking over to a chair, Bern curled up in it and placed the hood over his face and his hands into the cloak's sleeves. He closed his eyes and stayed that way until morning.

Anakin walked into the lounge the next morning and found Ben curled up on a chair, his cloaked clenched tightly around him. "Aren't you uncomfortable?"

Ben did not move as he spoke. "I'm fine."

"Would you like to help me make breakfast?" Anakin asked invitingly.

"No."

"You could watch me make breakfast."

"No."

Anakin sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright then. I'll call you when breakfast is ready."

"I'm not hungry." Ben responded, his voice muffled by the cloak.

"You need to eat something." Anakin pressed.

"No, no, and no!" Ben shouted. "Leave me alone!"

Biting his tongue to keep from saying anything that would upset Ben more, Anakin headed for the kitchen. Once he was in the kitchen, Anakin grabbed a pot and began to fill it with water.

"Good morning Anakin." Padme greeted when she entered the kitchen.

Anakin smiled and briefly looked at her before going back to look through the small pantry. "Good morning Padme. I thought I would make us some oatmeal for breakfast."

"Mmm. That sounds good." Padme commented as she went to set the table.

"Try telling Ben that. He refuses to eat." Anakin grumbled as he measured the oatmeal.

Padme set the bowls on the table and headed for the lounge. "I'll go talk to him." She found Ben in the same position he was when she had gone in the kitchen and slowly approached him. "Ben, are you feeling alright?"

A pair of blue eyes peered out at her from within the hood, yet he did not speak.

"Anakin is making some oatmeal. Would like to have some?" Padme asked.

"No." Ben replied in a low voice.

Padme sat down on a small part of the chair facing Ben, softly smiling. "So you're not hungry?"

Ben started to shake his head, but his stomach growled, causing him to pause.

"How about you just take just one bite?" Padme suggested.

"Just one bite?" Ben asked for confirmation, receiving a nod in reply. "Okay, just one bite." He agreed.

"Good." Standing up, Padme offered Ben her hand.

Ben studied her hand for a few seconds before uncrossing his arms from the cloak's sleeves and reaching out to take Padme's hand.

Padme closed her hand around Ben's and together they walked into the kitchen.

Anakin sensed Padme and Ben approach and stirred the oatmeal one more time before looking at them. "Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

"Anakin." Obi-Wan said groggily when he appeared in the doorway. "What have I told you about using the Force for trivial tasks?"

Caught, Anakin turned around to stir the oatmeal. "I have no idea what you're talking about Master."

"Oh you know perfectly well. I don't have to remind you about what happened the last time you cooked and used the Force to make the cooking go faster, do I?" Obi-Wan asked as he sat in a chair at the table.

A tight smile made its way on Ben's face and Padme looked at Anakin with interest.

"Do tell Anakin." Padme prodded him.

Embarrassment made its way to Anakin's cheeks as he answered. "The cake exploded in the oven, resulting in a fire."

"It was my birthday cake too." Obi-Wan pointed out, a smile on his face.

"It was supposed to be a surprise. If you hadn't gotten back sooner then I thought you would, I wouldn't have tried to speed the process up." Anakin explained. "Also, I would like to add, I was fourteen at the time. My skills have grown since then."

Ben bit the bottom of his lip as he attempted to restrain himself from laughing, but a smile appeared on his face regardless.

Anakin took the pot off the stove and proceeded to put oatmeal in the bowls. "You see, nothing bad happened."

Obi-Wan just smiled and started to eat his breakfast.

Padme gave a short laugh when Anakin put some oatmeal in his bowl and saw small blackened spots.

Putting the pot in the sink, Anakin filled it with water and then made sure he turned the stove off. Sitting down, he looked at his oatmeal and his eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me." He spooned the blackened part up and looked at Obi-Wan. "You can stop laughing now."

Chuckling, Obi-Wan took a sip of his juice.

While the others were distracted, Ben took a bite of his oatmeal, chewed, and swallowed it. He put the spoon down in his oatmeal but did not bring it up again. He stared at the oatmeal hungrily, his stomach rumbling again. Checking to make sure no one was looking, Ben took another bite of his oatmeal. Before he knew it, the oatmeal was gone and he felt fuller than he had been in a long time.

"How are you feeling today, Ben?" Obi-Wan asked.

Ben glanced up at Obi-Wan from underneath his hood, but did not say a word. Instead he got up and left the kitchen.

Obi-Wan pressed his lips together and then looked at Anakin. "What's bothering him?"

Anakin shrugged, finishing the last of his juice before answering. "I have no idea. He was in the ship's lounge curled up on one of the chairs when I went to make breakfast. I have a feeling he was there half the night."

"At least he ate his oatmeal." Padme commented after seeing Ben's empty bowl.

"I'm glad whatever you said convinced him to eat. He is way to thin." Anakin told Padme thankfully.

Padme stood up and began to clear the table. "It's all in what you say Anakin. I simply convinced Ben to take one bite of the oatmeal. I knew if he was hungry enough that one bite would tempt him to take some more bites."

"Right. I knew that." Anakin said quickly.

"Sure you did." Padme responded, not convinced.

Obi-Wan chuckled and stood. "Thanks for cooking breakfast Anakin."

"You're welcome Master." Anakin replied and watched him leave. Standing up, Anakin went to help Padme clean up.


	7. Chapter 7

Ben spent the rest of the trip in his cabin, only opening the door to accept ration bars or something to drink.

When the ship had landed on the Temple's landing platform, Anakin went to go get Ben. Knocking gently on the door, Anakin called. "Ben, we're here."

There was a few moments of silence before Anakin heard movement inside and a few minutes later the door finally slid open.

Ben came out of his cabin and waited silently.

"We're going to be seeing the Council, you should keep you hood off." Anakin suggested.

"Why?" Ben asked.

Anakin drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out as he made an effort to remain patient. "It is a sign of respect and those who do where their hoods in the Temple usually do so because they don't want to be spoken to." Anakin explained.

Ben frowned and then whipped back his hood. "Happy now?"

Anakin smiled and ruffled Ben's hair, earning a glare. "Yes. Now let's not keep the Council waiting. Obi-Wan has already gone ahead of us."

Ben followed Anakin down the ramp of the ship and walked toward the steps that led up to the Temple.

As they walked, Anakin noticed that Ben had taken a position that a Padawan would take at his Master's side. "Ben, did you build your lightsabers yourself." He questioned first.

Ben shook his head. "No."

"Who trained you?" Anakin asked.

They reached the top of the stairs and entered through the massive doors, but Ben still did not respond.

Silently they entered a turbolift and rode up to the Council chambers. When they arrive, they were immediately ushered in.

Anakin took his spot at Obi-Wan's side and bowed his head at the Council members.

Ben, however, simply stood near Anakin and stared out of the window.

"Padawan Skywalker," began Master Windu. "You disobeyed the Council's orders. Why?"

"With all due respect Master Windu, you had ordered me to guard the Senator, yes, but you failed to say that we had to remain on Naboo. When you had restated your orders after receiving my Master's message, you failed to realize that although you ordered me to stay and guard the Senator, that she still had freedom to do what she wanted, like for example leave the planet."

Mace frowned and slowly replied. "So I did. Thank you for being honest Padawan Skywalker."

Depa Billaba spoke next. "Who is this boy that you have brought with you?"

Anakin stepped behind Ben and placed his hands gently on his shoulders. "His name is Ben Jade. I discovered him on Tatooine. He has no family and has been trained in the ways of the Force."

"Anger, I sense in him." Yoda commented.

Mace pressed his hands together, his fingertips touching under his chin. "He doesn't take pleasure in killing."

"Masters, I propose that a Master be found for Ben so that he may continue his training." Anakin stated, feeling Ben's shoulders tense under his hands. "Or at least have someone take him in."

"The boy should not be trained and no Master will be willing to take guardianship of this angry boy." Shaak Ti remarked.

A spike of anger ran through Anakin and his calm shifted. "You speak as if Ben is not here, but he is."

Obi-Wan stepped forward to speak before any of the other Council members could respond. "I suggest that Ben leave the room until this discussion is finished.

The Council members nodded in agreement, and Anakin let Ben go to wait outside. Once the doors had closed behind Ben, they continued where they had left off.

"May I remind the Council that the Sith are still out there?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin continued. "If Ben is left to his own devices, the Sith will surely find him and use him against us."

Even Piell spoke next. "Not all the Jedi would necessarily agree. Shaak Ti is correct, no one will be willing to have guardianship of him."

"Then we will." Anakin replied firmly, "I hereby request that the Council grant us guardianship of Ben."

"Master Kenobi, what say you?" Yoda answered.

Obi-Wan looked directly at Yoda as he spoke. "I agree with my Padawan and support him on this matter."

Mace nodded. "We will discuss your request Padawan Skywalker. May the Force be with you both."

Anakin and Obi-Wan bowed and left the Council chambers. They found Ben waiting for them on a bench, his hood back up and over his head.

"Coming here was a mistake." Ben remarked in a low voice.

Anakin sat down besides Ben and tugged Ben's hood down, causing Ben to look at him. "No it isn't."

"The Council tends to be stubborn, Ben." Obi-Wan told him. "Regardless of what they say or do, they do care."

"Would you like to be shown around the Temple?" Anakin suggested.

"What's the point? I won't be staying long." Ben replied, his face expressionless.

Obi-Wan sat down on the other side of Ben and watched as Ben fiddled with the sleeves of his cloak. "Ben, look at me." Obi-Wan requested in a gentle voice.

Ben slowly looked up, but did not directly meet Obi-Wan's eyes.

"Anakin and I will do all we can to make sure that you will be able to remain here." Obi-Wan promised.

"What if I don't want to be here?" Ben asked.

"Where will you go? What will you do? You are still a young boy." Anakin replied.

Ben shrugged. "I'll find something."

Anakin cast a worried glance at Obi-Wan who did the same.

"Ben, why don't you take a few days to think about it, explore the Temple and meet some kids your age. Even if the Council denies Anakin's request, at least you got to experience what life is like in the Temple." Obi-Wan told him. "Also know that Anakin and I will be there for you in whatever decision the Council makes."

Ben tugged at the right sleeve of his cloak and shook his head. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"I'm telling you this because we care about you." Obi-Wan corrected.

Anakin and Obi-Wan watched as Ben pulled his hood back over his head, stood up, and walked away. Anakin stood up to follow but Obi-Wan motioned for him to stay.

"He needs some time alone." Obi-Wan told Anakin. "He'll find us once he wants to talk."

Sighing heavily, Anakin sat back down and entered a light meditation trance to recenter himself.


	8. Chapter 8

Ben wandered aimlessly through the halls of the Temple, ignoring the stares he got from those he passed. He came to the room of a thousand fountains and entered it, listening to the soft trickling of water against stone and water.

He sat on the edge of one of the fountains, and dipped his right hand into the cool water. Tiny fish nibbled at his fingers and would back off if Ben moved one of his fingers.

"_Kill him." A shadowed figure spoke._

_Ben bit down hard on his lip, his lightsaber lit in his hands, pointing down at a broken person on the floor._

"_Kill him now!" The person commanded. _

_Ben clenched his eyes shut as he drove the blade into the person's chest._

"_Good, good." The shadowed person praised, clapping his hands. "Show no mercy to your enemies."_

_Breathing hard, Ben opened his eyes, meeting the lifeless gaze of the person he had killed. "I'm sorry Kyp." Ben uttered under his breath._

_The shadowed person, however, had heard him and Force pushed Ben violently into a nearby wall._

_Ben slowly picked himself up, catching his breath, only a few seconds later have an icy hand wrap around his throat, squeezing the breath from him._

"_Is that remorse I hear in your voice?" The shadowed one hissed, releasing Ben's throat and slapping Ben's face. "You are weak, just like your parents!"_

_Sinking to the floor, Ben struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to come, his breathing coming in ragged gasps._

_The shadowed man knelt down and cupped Ben's face in his hand, rubbing the cheek he had slapped with his thumb. "Such an innocent face."_

_Ben closed his eyes, willing for the torment to just end._

_Picking Ben up by the front of his tunic, Ben's tormentor stood and shoved Ben onto the ground in the middle of the room. "Now, we will just have to repeat the lesson over again."_

_Ben froze as he saw his tormentor take the whip from his belt and do a few practice swings. His breath caught in his throat and he trembled as he waited for the expected pain that was about to be inflicted._

_The man kicked Ben in the side to turn him over and then, brought his five stranded whip down on Ben's back._

_The urge to scream was great as the whip tore and bruised his skin. White hot pain spread through his body and tears fell from Ben's eyes. He gritted his teeth, even going as far as biting his tongue, yet he could not keep back the scream that would come. He screamed, loud and long, which only caused the strikes to be harder and more painful than before…_

Ben opened his eyes and gasped, his heart racing. He pulled his hand from the water and tucked it into the folds of his cloak. He shivered, a silent sob catching in his throat. The memory still felt so fresh to him, like an open wound refusing to close and festering in his mind.

Tucking his legs against his chest on the side of the fountain, Ben hugged himself close, crying silent tears.

It was an hour later before Anakin and Obi-Wan were summoned back into the Council room.

"Reviewed your request has been." Yoda began.

"The boy will be given guardianship, but will not be trained!" Plo Koon informed them, making it clear in the way he talked that the Council would not allow the boy be trained at all.

Mace continued. "Master Kenobi, Padawan Skywalker. The Council has voted and we are willing to grant you both guardianship of the boy. The forms that need to be filled out have been sent to your quarters, as well as the number of your new quarter's."

"Thank You." Obi-Wan responded.

"Padawan Skywalker, you may leave. Your mission report is due tomorrow." Mace told him.

Anakin bowed his head respectively and left the Council room. Once he was beyond the door, he let a smile spread on his face. The Council had listened to him, sure he had a little bit of help from Obi-Wan, but he had done it.

Entering the turbolift, Anakin stretched out with the Force for Ben's presence and sensed him two levels below him. Pushing the correct level, Anakin waited as the turbolift descended. As soon as the doors opened enough to allow him through, Anakin headed toward Ben's location.

Anakin found Ben sitting on the side of the one of the fountains in the room of a thousand fountains, curled up in a fetal position. "Ben." Anakin lightly called as he approached.

Ben tensed when he heard his name called, and then relaxed when he realized that it was just Anakin. Quickly wiping his eyes and cheeks with his hand, Ben put his feet back on the ground and tugged off his hood.

Anakin sat down next to Ben, a smile still on his face. "The Council has made their decision. They have decided to let my Master and I have guardianship of you." Whatever Anakin had been expecting as a reaction from Ben was dashed when he saw the same dull look in Ben's blue eyes.

Silence descended and not a word or sound was uttered as the minutes dragged by.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Anakin finally asked.

Ben looked away from Anakin and then looked down at his hands. "What should I say? Perhaps you should be asking a different question."

Confused, Anakin shook his head. "I don't understand."

"That is why you fail." Ben replied in a solemn voice. He looked back at Anakin with haunted eyes and continued, "Your fear clouds your judgment. You must look within yourself if you do not know the identity of your fear and when you do, conquer it." Standing up, Ben walked away.

Disturbed, Anakin headed to Obi-Wan's and his quarters and busied himself transferring things to their new quarters. By the time Anakin was finished transferring his stuff, and anything that was in the kitchen and living area that was theirs, Obi-Wan came back and started to do his room.

Somehow, Ben managed to find their new quarters and without so much as a hello, went into the spare bedroom and shut the door.

"Something is troubling him." Obi-Wan commented as he sat on the couch.

Anakin joined him and nodded. "I agree. Maybe once he gets used to us then he'll open up."

"I hope so. I have a feeling he won't take kindly to a soul healer." Obi-Wan responded, picking up a datapad from the table to type up an official report of his mission.

"He would fight it." Anakin agreed. Turning his head, Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan. "Master, do you have a secret fear?"

Obi-Wan stopped typing his report and thought about it for a few seconds before beginning to type again. "Yes."

"What is it?" Anakin asked curiously.

"It's a ridiculous one really." Obi-Wan confessed, not pausing from his typing. When he continued to feel Anakin's gaze on him, he stopped typing. "My secret fear is of being alone."

Anakin stared at his master in shocked astonishment. "What kind of fear is that?"

Obi-Wan shrugged and resumed his typing. "Like I said, it's a ridiculous fear."

"Is that why I'm not a Knight yet?" Anakin asked, smirking.

"You're not even twenty yet Anakin and the average age a Padawan gets Knighted at is twenty-eight." Obi-wan explained.

"What!" Anakin exclaimed loudly and then lowered his voice, "You can't be serious."

"I am, but you have to take into account the Jedi that come from different worlds. If Qui-Gon had lived, I would have been a Padawan for one more year, plus the three month trial period and six month transition period from Padawan to Knight." Obi-Wan explained. "And before you ask, I have already decided when you will have your trials and it's not that far away. Now go work on your mission report like you're supposed to be doing."

Anakin rolled his eyes and went to find his datapad. "Perhaps I should find you an initiate to be your next Padawan." He picked his datapad off of the kitchen table and reentered the living area, promptly catching a pillow that was thrown at him.

"Don't even think about it." Obi-Wan told Anakin, not turning his attention away from his report for a moment.

Anakin threw the pillow back at Obi-Wan and while still typing, Obi-Wan caught it with his left hand. Plopping down on the couch, Anakin commented. "I think it will be good for you. Maybe I'll get Yoda to help me."

"I think you will rethink your words if you heard how Yoda matched Qui-Gon and me up."

"It couldn't have been that bad." Anakin remarked.

Obi-Wan shook his head and looked at Anakin. "If you had known Qui-Gon twenty-four years ago, you would rethink your words."

Intrigued, Anakin decided to bait Obi-Wan into telling his story on how he became Master Qui-Gon's Padawan. "I don't think so."

Setting his datapad down on the table, Obi-Wan made himself comfortable on the couch. "Alright then, let me tell you. Master Qui-Gon had had one Padawan before me, Xanatos, who fell to the Dark Side before he was to be Knighted. As a result, Qui-Gon decided that he would not take a Padawan ever again. Yoda, in the meantime was already scheming to make me Qui-Gon's Padawan. Yoda had made it a priority that whoever wanted to pick me as a Padawan had to go see him first. As a result, all the Knights and Masters who wanted to pick me were turned away. This was something that I did not find out until ten years afterwards.

Anyway, I was approaching my thirteenth birthday and was becoming worried because no Master had chosen me yet. About a month before my birthday, there was a dueling tournament and Yoda had arranged for Qui-Gon to be there. He also helped me prepare for the tournament. I dueled someone who was also desperate in getting a Master, the only difference was that he had a few more months than I did. We weren't friend's and he would do his best to make me angry or get me in trouble. I won the tournament and afterwards Qui-Gon came to see me……. "

Almost two hours later, Obi-Wan finished his story of how he became Qui-Gon's Padawan, leaving Anakin speechless.

Obi-Wan chuckled, picked up his datapad, stood, and walked around the couch, laying a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Have a good night sleep Anakin."

Anakin shook his head, trying to get out of the dazed feeling he was in. Obi-Wan's story was not at all like he had expected it to be. Now, even with a few questions answered, twice as many questions rose to take their place. Deciding that he wasn't going to get the report finished tonight, Anakin headed off to his room.


	9. Chapter 9

_They're coming. No don't come, go away. They're not leaving, no, no, no! Don't come for me, it's not worth it. Go back! Please!_

_Stillness, agonizing stillness._

_Please go away. Don't come on account of me. Forget about me, forget that I exist!_

_Smoke fills the air, clouds cover the sky._

_No, no, no! Run! It's a trap! Please run! My Master is coming. Flea, It is not what you think. You all have been deceived. There are to many of them._

_I sense my Master, he is here, behind me. It's to late, it's to late._

_Timed mines detonate, droids march through the rubble in timed precision so that none are blown up by the mines. "Why couldn't you all have stayed away? You shouldn't have come, shouldn't have come._

_Pain, numbing pain. So much death, so much death. It hurts, please stop. Please make it stop._

_Screaming, the Force screams, screaming. Agony, terrible pain. Make it stop, make it stop!_

_Then silence, eerie silence. Bile rises to my mouth and I let it out, doubling over. I feel sick, weak. _

_Pain, searing pain across my back. I have displeased my Master for my show of weakness._

_Why, why, why? Why was I born, why do I still live, why is my life full of torture?_

_A lightsaber ignites, followed by another, and another, and another. I strain to see, my heart leaping to my throat in seeing my parents outnumbered two to nine._

_No! Leave! It is not worth it. You can't win, there are to many, to many._

_Words are exchanged, what they are I can't tell. Then lightsabers clash, it begins. Bile rises up again, and again I let it out._

_Weak, to weak to help. To weak to warn my mother as she is stabbed through the side. My father fights harder and faster, but the odds are to great. No. no. No! Not again. Force not again. Please!_

_I feel it, like a great light going out. He is gone. She is gone. No! I want to scream but I have no voice to scream with. _

_My Master, my slaver, my tormentor hovers over me and then, the pain begins anew. This time, I scream._

Anakin woke up sensing a small disturbance from the Force coming from the room Ben was sleeping in. Getting quickly out of bed, Anakin entered Ben's room where Ben was tossing and turning violently in his bed, sobs briefly escaping his mouth.

Sitting down beside him, Anakin placed his hands on Ben's shoulders to still him. "Sh Ben, it's all right, it's just a dream."

Ben continued to struggle against Anakin's grip, his whimpering increasing.

Taking a risk, Anakin sent soothing thoughts and words to Ben's mind with the Force, and to his surprise, Ben eagerly accepted them. Anakin also sent feelings of love and warmth which Ben also readily accepted. Minutes later, Ben began to calm down, much to Anakin's relief.

Ben's eyelids opened, and for a few moments they simply stared at each other through the darkness. His cheeks wet with tears, Ben sat up and Anakin gathered him into his arms.

Anakin brought Ben close to his chest and felt Ben's tears creating damp spots on his shirt. "Sh. It's okay, it's just a dream."

Ben held Anakin's shirt tightly in his hands, reluctant to give up the safety he felt in Anakin's arms.

A half an hour later, Ben fell back to sleep and Anakin tucked him back into bed. Grabbing the chair from the desk that was in the room, Anakin sat near Ben, in case the boy should have another bad dream.

Anakin felt something at his feet when he shifted in his chair. Bending down, he picked it up, and by the soft light of the moon, Anakin was able to tell that it was a holopicture device. He pushed the switch that would turn it on and a holopicture sprang up in his hand of a man and a woman and a child that was held in the woman's arms.

The woman had long red hair and green eyes. Her smile was wide and her face beamed with happiness.

Anakin's eyes drifted to the man who had an arm wrapped around the women and almost dropped the holopicture in shock. The man in the picture bore an almost striking resemblance to him. The sandy blond hair, the bright blue eyes and… Anakin shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. It must be a coincidence, it must be. Yet there it was, in his hands. Examining it closer Anakin noticed other small things that were similar to him, and to his amazement, to Padme.

_iA son? Does this mean that Padme and I will be getting married? If this man is my son, then Ben is…my grandson./i _His hands shaking, Anakin turned the holopicture off and put it on the side table. He visualized Ben's face in his mind and studied his eyes. Ben's haunted eyes stared back at him, but that did not take away the fact that their eyes were similar except that one pair was dull and haunted while Anakin's own weren't.

Ben whimpered in his sleep and turned on his side away from Anakin.

Anakin's heart clenched painfully in his chest as he sensed the still obvious distress in Ben. i_Why is he here? How did he come here from the future? What happened to my son and daughter-in-law? What has Ben gone through that has made him like this?_/i Anakin stayed beside Ben for the rest of the night and in the morning was woken by the sun shining in his face.

The bed was empty and Anakin heard the distinct sound of the shower running. Standing up, Anakin stretched, working out the kinks that he got from sitting on a hard chair for half the night. As he was stretching, Anakin noticed Ben's lightsabers resting on the side table.

He had not so much as glanced at them before, but this time he did and what he saw made his heart race. The lightsaber on the left was eerily similar to his own. Picking it up, Anakin examined it a little more closely, confirming that he was not delusional. It was his lightsaber. He always used the same design when he constructed his lightsabers, he may tweak the design a bit, but the change would barely be noticeable. Setting the lightsaber back down, Anakin left Ben's room.

i_Should I tell Obi-Wan? No, he'll just forbid me from seeing Padme. What if Obi-Wan figures it out himself? No, that won't happen. He wouldn't think of the possibility that I would have a child, much less a grandson._/i Anakin entered his room and went to finish typing up his report. i_I'll just have to figure this out one day at a time./i_

Ben finished showering and got dressed. With his cloak wrapped tightly around himself, he walked into the kitchen in search of something to eat. He found a heatable breakfast and heated it up while he found some utensils, a cup, and something to drink.

He was finishing his meal when Anakin walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning Ben. Did you get enough to eat?" Anakin asked, going to a cabinet to get a glass.

"Yes." Ben simply replied before drinking the rest of his juice.

Anakin poured himself some juice and sat down at the table. "We should go get some extra clothes for you and a cloak that will fit you better."

Ben clenched his cloak protectively and shook his head. "No. I like my cloak."

Sipping his juice thoughtfully a question came to Anakin's mind. "Is your cloak special in some way to you?"

Ben nodded. "It was my father's."

i_That's my son's cloak? Was he fond of black? Why?_/i "Did your father like dark colors?"

"He liked black. As long as I could remember, he had always worn black." Ben replied.

_The picture I saw, he was wearing black. Why would my son prefer black to other colors? Maybe he gets it from me. I have a fondness for dark colored clothes myself, but they are usually a dark brown or a grayish black._ "What colors do you like?"

"Black." Ben responded, his voice certain.

A tiny tendril of dread winded its way within Anakin, coiling in his stomach. Deciding to change the subject, Anakin asked. "Were one of your parents a Jedi?"

Ben gave Anakin a sharp look in response.

"I'm just asking because you have two lightsabers. Not many Jedi use two lightsabers and those who do are about my age or older." Anakin explained.

Slowly Ben answered. "Both of my parents were Jedi. My mother was a Jedi Master and my father was Grand Master."

Anakin's eyes widened, "Grand Master?" He slowly repeated. _Only a small handful of Jedi since the Great Sith War has ever held that title. My son…a Grand Master…_ Remembering that Ben did not know yet that he knew, Anakin asked. "The only Jedi that I know who holds that title is currently on the Council and a Jedi of such a title would be well known. If he had left the Jedi, everyone would know about it."

Standing up, Ben began to clean up his place. "I'm going for a walk."

Anakin let Ben ignore his comment and instead said. "Be sure to check the south garden out, I'm sure you'll enjoy it." Anakin watched Ben finish scrubbing and rinsing the dishes and then leave the room. _I wonder if I will hold the same title in the future? Possibly._

Finishing his juice, Anakin went to make any last minute corrections on his report, then went to get washed and ready to meet with the Council.


	10. Chapter 10

Ben returned from his walk two hours later and found that Anakin had already left for the Council meeting. Going into his room, Ben took off his cloak and laid it on the bed. He placed his father's and mother's lightsabers in the center of the cloak and laid the holopicture on top of the lightsabers. Carefully Ben folded the cloak over the items and then just stared for a few minutes.

A tear escaped Ben's eye and trailed down his cheek. "I miss you Dad. I miss you Mom. I'm sorry I failed. I won't fail again, I promise. I will find a way to stop them." Leaving the bedroom, Ben took one last look at the things he had left on the bed and then left.

* * *

Anakin found Obi-Wan in one of the gardens, sitting in his usual spot. Anakin sat down next to him in a meditative posture. "Master."

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and turned his head to face Anakin.

"Do you think it's possible for someone to travel back in time?" Anakin asked.

"No, not unless the Force wills it and that I believe is highly unlikely." Obi-Wan answered. "The past is the past and should remain the past."

"So I guess you won't believe me if I told you that our little friend is from the future." Anakin remarked.

In a low voice, Obi-Wan asked. "What makes you think that?"

"I saw one of his lightsabers. It is the same design that I use and it is a design that I had designed myself." Anakin answered.

Obi-Wan rubbed his bearded chin with his hand in thought. "If what you think is true then we must be careful not to find out to much about the future. However, we're going to need to know why he is here."

Anakin frowned and looked at the stone pathway. "His presence will have changed the future anyway, Master. If he is here to change the future then I don't see why we can't know about the future."

Shaking his head, Obi-Wan continued to look at Anakin. "First of all, I find it hard to believe the Force will allow a child to come and change the past. Second, having a person from the future reveal the future to someone from the past is worse then having a vision."

"How can is be worse? At least you'll know for sure what will happen. If I could, I would go back in time to save my mother. I'm sure you wish you could go back in time yourself and save your Master." Anakin retorted.

"Anakin, no matter how much you try to prevent things from happening, there is always going to be something else that is going to go wrong. We should leave the past as it is and work for a better future. Knowing what the future holds will only be more of a burden. There may be something we don't like, or like, but when we attempt to make it go faster or make it right, something worse may occur instead." Obi-Wan lectured.

Closing his eyes, Anakin did his best to soothe his tumult emotions and release them into the Force.

"Of course that doesn't mean we'll still wonder. I would like to know how Ben has a lightsaber design similar to yours, but I won't pry unless it's the will of the Force." Obi-Wan added.

Anakin looked back at Obi-Wan quickly looked back at Obi-Wan, wondering what his Master's suspicions were. "There are a lot of possibilities, Master."

Smiling, Obi-Wan answered. "Indeed there is my Padawan. Now, I suggest we meditate on these new developments and see where the Force is leading us."

Anakin nodded in agreement and slowly sank into a meditation trance.

* * *

Ben walked into the Senate building and asked a passerby where Senator Amidala's office was located. Once he had its location, Ben headed straight there. He entered the reception room and walked up to the desk. "I'm here to see Senator Amidala, my name is Ben Jade."

The lady at the desk asked. "Do you have an appointment?"

Rolling his eyes, Ben answered. "I'm a friend. Do I have to have an appointment? At least tell her that I'm here." With that said, he went to go sit down on one of the chairs.

A couple of minutes later Padme's office door opened and Chancellor Palpatine exited.

Palpatine spotted Ben and, with a wide smile, put out his hand. "Hello young man. I'm Chancellor Palpatine."

Ben stood and bowed his head in respect. "It is an honor to meet you Chancellor. I'm Ben Jade." He answered and shook Palpatine's hand.

"That is a fine name you have Ben. Tell me, how do you know Senator Amidala?" Palpatine asked.

"I met her on Tatooine a couple of days ago. Master Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker have received guardianship approval from the Council, so now I have a home. I thought Senator Amidala would like to hear the news since she was so kind to me and all." Ben explained.

Nodding, Palpatine said. "Kenobi and Skywalker are good Jedi. You'll be well cared for."

"Yeah." Ben looked down and shifted his feet. "To bad they can't train me."

"Oh?" Palpatine responded, arching an eyebrow.

Ben looked back up at Palpatine and sighed. "The Council won't let me be trained, but I already had some training before my Master died. You see, after my parents were killed I found a retired Jedi on Tatooine who was willing to take me in and train me. He trained me for about five years. He died a month ago." Ben wiped at his eyes that had become wet with tears.

Placing a hand on Ben's shoulder, Palpatine gave Ben a reassuring smile. "I'm sure the Council will change their minds eventually. Perhaps you can prove to them that you are worthy to be trained."

"Perhaps." Ben sniffled.

Palpatine pulled a card from his pocket and gave it to Ben. "If you ever need to talk with someone, you can call me at this number."

"Thank you Chancellor." Ben responded, looking down at the card.

Palpatine gave Ben's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "And please, call me Palpatine."

Ben bowed, a small grin appearing on his face. "Palpatine."

Once Palpatine had walked away, Ben headed into Padme's office.

* * *

Anakin and Obi-Wan returned to their quarters after eating a meal in the cafeteria and sat down on the couch.

"So what do you think we should do?" Anakin asked.

"Let's wait to see if he'll tell us first, for now." Obi-Wan suggested. "He's come to the past for a reason."

"Or perhaps it's the other way around and we are supposed to help him." Anakin put in.

Obi-Wan turned his head toward Anakin. "We don't even know what kind of future he lives in. It doesn't make sense that he is here for us to help him. Why not in his own time? There must be someone there who could help him."

Anakin shrugged. "As you said Master, we don't know what his time is like and you did say that it is unlikely that the Force sent Ben here to change the past."

Shaking his head, Obi-Wan cast his senses into the Force to find Ben's presence, only to sense that Ben was not in the Temple. "Did Ben say that he was going to leave the Temple?"

"No, but he did say he was going for a walk." Anakin replied, his eyes closed. "I'm sure he's f…." Anakin stopped talking when he felt a disturbance in the Force originating from Ben. "Ben's in trouble." Anakin stated, rushing for the door, Obi-Wan following close behind.

* * *

Ben landed hard on the unforgiving ground, momentarily stunned by the impact.

"I can feel your anger. Use it." The Sith prodded, circling Ben.

"It hurts to much." Ben responded, slowly standing up.

The Sith pointed his blood red lightsaber at Ben, his face hidden by the shadows in the abandoned building. "Then you are a failure. A worthless being. A pity, you have so much power."

Anger flared up in Ben and he grabbed the knife that he had dropped when he was tossed to the ground and charged at the Sith, ducking as the Sith swung at him.

The knife was kicked from his hands and he was knocked in the head with the hilt of the Sith's lightsaber, causing him to tumble to the ground.

The Sith grabbed Ben's hair and yanked his head back. "Perhaps you need more persuasion." The Sith released Ben and poured Force lightning into Ben's body.


	11. Chapter 11

Anakin flew the speeder as fast as the engines would allow, narrowly avoiding colliding with speeders and buildings.

Obi-Wan clung to the seat, his face pale as Anakin pointed the speeder down toward the lower levels. "We won't be helping Ben if we're killed Anakin."

"Relax Master. We're almost there, I can sense him nearby." Anakin responded, trying to reassure his Master.

Finally they landed and Anakin hopped out of the speeder and ran toward an abandoned building.

Obi-Wan used the Force to settle his flip flopping stomach and to steady himself as he climbed out of the speeder. By the time he got into the building, he found Anakin kneeling beside Ben.

Anakin brushed Ben's bangs back from his sweaty forehead, his other hand clasping Ben's trembling hand. "He's been hit with Force lightening. This place is filled with the remnants of the presence of the Sith." Anakin told Obi-Wan when he entered the building.

Obi-Wan walked in several long strides over to Anakin and Ben and knelt down beside Ben to check his pulse. "He's stable enough to move. Get him to the speeder, I'm going to alert the Healers."

Nodding his head, Anakin scooped Ben up in his arms and took him to the speeder.

* * *

_"They don't know you're going with me are they?" Jacen asked from the pilot's seat._

_Ben shrugged his shoulders as the ship entered hyperspace. "I think it should be obvious that I am going with you."_

_Jacen sighed and looked at Ben, his voice rising with every few words. "I told you that you had to get their permission first. How can I trust you on this mission if you can't do what I say!" _

"_Maybe you should have spoken to them yourself!" Ben snapped._

"_They're your parents Ben. You can't avoid talking to them forever." Jacen replied, his voice softer than it was before._

_Ben snorted and went to leave the cockpit. "You're one to talk."_

_Jacen shook his head and went after Ben. "That's different. I'm an adult, you're not. If I choose not to tell my parents that I have a daughter than that is the way it will be."_

"_Yeah, yeah. You're protecting her by not telling your parents." Ben replied sarcastically. He plopped down on the couch and put a pillow over his face. "Some people think you are to close to the line."_

_Prying the pillow away from Ben, Jacen tossed it across the room and glared sternly at Ben. "You are just like your parents, you know that?" Jacen said in annoyance._

_Anger flashed in Ben's eyes and he left the couch for his cabin. "I…am…not…like…them!"_

"_To bad grandfather is not alive right now, he would have shaken some sense into you Ben!" Jacen shouted._

_Ben stopped at his cabin door and looked back at Jacen. "What? You can't handle being a Master to me?" He replied in a sarcastic tone and then entered his cabin. Before the door shut, Ben added. "The ship is locked in hyperspace, so there won't be any contact with my parents."_

"_Ben!" Jacen shouted in exasperation from the cockpit..._

Ben shifted in the bacta, tears escaping his eyes and disappearing into the thick greenish fluid.

* * *

Obi-Wan returned from their quarters and found Anakin in the waiting room of the Healer's ward. Sitting down in a chair next to Anakin, Obi-Wan looked at Anakin whose eyes were closed.

"Healer Tecwi informed me a couple of minutes ago that Ben is in a bacta tank right now. He'll be fine, but he'll have to have bacta treatment for a couple of days." Anakin informed Obi-Wan.

"Anakin." Obi-Wan waited for Anakin to look at him before he continued. "Ben didn't bring his lightsabers with him when he went down to the lower levels. They are sitting on his bed right now. Also, I have a feeling he intended to meet up with the Sith."

Shaking his head, Anakin wiped his face with his hand. "Why would he do that? I don't sense darkness in him Master, his light is tainted, but not pure darkness."

"I'm not sure Anakin, but what I am sure of now is that he is in need of help and that is why he is here." Obi-Wan responded.

Healer Tecwi entered at that moment and nodded to Anakin and Obi-Wan. "Master Kenobi, Padawan Skywalker. Please come into my office."

They followed her to her office and sat down in comfortable chairs at her desk.

Concerned, Anakin spoke first. "Is Ben alright?"

Tecwi sat down at her desk, her blue-green eyes looking at them intently, but softly. "He has been making progress, better than we thought he would at first." She answered, her soft voice helping to ease Anakin and Obi-Wan's minds. "However, that is not what I have called you both in here to discuss. Padawan Skywalker, I have read the report you gave to the Council that explained how you found Ben Jade and how he was involved in the battle on Geonosis."

"What are you getting at?" Anakin asked her impatiently.

"Did either of you know that Ben has been abused in the past?" Tecwi asked them.

Obi-Wan and Anakin stared at her in stunned silence. This was news to them.

"No we didn't." Obi-Wan answered.

Tecwi handed Obi-Wan a datapad and continued. "When we were preparing him for the bacta dip, we found old scars on his back and chest, most of them that looked like they had come from a whip."

Anakin felt as though he was going to be sick at the thought of his own grandson being abused.

Obi-Wan finished reading the medical report on Ben and placed it on the desk, his lips pressed in a thin line. "Thank you for informing us, Healer Tecwi."

Tecwi nodded and stood up, "I'll keep you both updated on his progress." She informed them before she left.

"Abused." Anakin repeated under his breath.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and let the Force fill him, tossing any negative emotion he was feeling away from him and into the Force. "Remember, no one but us knows that he is from the future. We don't know what his future is like."

"That does not make me feel any better Master." Anakin responded in a bitter tone.

"I didn't think it would." Obi-Wan replied, opening his eyes. "Let's go back into the waiting room and meditate."

"I don't think I can meditate right now Master." Anakin confessed with a shake of his head.

"Anakin, when Ben wakes up he is going to need our support. We can't do that if we are not centered and calm." An idea came to Obi-Wan's mind and he added. "You can ask if there's anything here that needs to be fixed."

Anakin managed a tight smile and nodded. "I could do that Master."

They both stepped back into the waiting room and Anakin went to ask someone in the Healer's wing if there was something he could fix.

* * *

"The boy is fascinating." Palatine spoke to the other occupant of his quarters.

Dooku dipped his head, acknowledging Palpatine's words.

Palpatine turned away from the window to look at Dooku. "You say he attempted to get you to take him with you?"

"Yes Master. He seemed quite willing." Dooku confirmed.

"Yet he won't touch the Force." Palpatine put in.

"He did use it during the battle Master." Dooku reminded.

Palpatine looked at Dooku sharply. "Of course he did, but he did nothing to prevent me from attacking him except use physical force." He circled Dooku as he continued. "The boy is powerful, perhaps more than Anakin." He stopped in front of Dooku and ordered. "Head back to the Separatists main fleet and prepare them. It is time to create chaos."

Dooku bowed. "As you wish Master."


	12. Chapter 12

Watching Ben peacefully sleep, Anakin sat in a chair next to Ben's medical cot. It was a week now since Ben was attacked and he had not spoken once when he woke up after a bacta dip. "Healer Tecwi says that you should be able to leave the med ward by tomorrow morning. No more bacta dips." Anakin added, trying to be humorous. Ben's eyes remained closed, but Anakin sensed that Ben was actually awake and alert. "You can try to fake sleeping Ben, but you have to open your eyes sometime."

Ben wrinkled his nose and opened his eyes. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

Although he felt hurt by the remark from his grandson, Anakin pushed it aside and instead smiled. "Would you rather be bored by the Healers?"

Rolling his eyes, Ben turned over on his side, away from Anakin. "At least they're doing something then just watching me."

"Oh, but I have been doing something besides watching you." Anakin countered. "I fixed the Healers broken down equipment and other stuff."

Ben sighed in defeat. "Okay, so you were doing something." Sitting up, Ben looked around the room. "Where are my clothes?"

"You are not leaving here until tomorrow." Anakin responded instead.

"I feel fine." Ben replied, ignoring the faint pounding in his head. He did a few simple stretches and then began to search the room.

Anakin shook his head and moved to block the cabinet where he knew Ben's clothes were. "You are not leaving this room!"

Ben stared up at Anakin, irritation showing in his eyes. "Move!"

Crossing his arms, Anakin refused to budge. At that moment Obi-Wan entered the room. Looking up from up from Ben, Anakin rested his gaze on Obi-Wan. "Our little friend here thinks he can escape the healers ward early."

Obi-Wan chuckled, coming up behind Ben. "I remember you were the same way Padawan. You still are."

"You're not helping Master." Anakin answered in annoyed amusement.

"Ben, you need to stay here for a little longer until we know that you are fully recovered." Obi-Wan told Ben.

Knowing he was fighting a losing battle, Ben stormed back over to the med cot and sat back on it.

Anakin and Obi-Wan followed him and Obi-Wan sat next to him, while Anakin simply stood.

"Ben, would you like to talk to us about what happened in the lower levels?" Obi-Wan gently asked.

Shaking his head, Ben studied the floor. "No. There is nothing to tell."

Anakin bit his tongue to keep from saying what he thought of Ben's answer and instead listened to Obi-Wan speak.

"Alright then, that is completely up to you whether or not you want to talk about it. Would you like to meditate with us instead?"

"No." Ben replied, a shudder running through him.

Deciding to step in, Anakin asked. "Why does it hurt to touch the Force, Ben?"

Ben met Anakin's eyes, silently studying them for a few seconds. "Does it hurt when you touch the Force?"

Curious by the question, Anakin answered. "No, of course not. It may if there is a lot of death at one time or a powerful Force user dies, but other then that, it does not hurt to touch the Force."

Shock and confusion was felt from Ben as he looked to Obi-Wan for confirmation.

"Anakin's right Ben." Obi-Wan confirmed.

Ben squeezed his eyes shut, his head pounding as he struggled to accept this new information or not. In the turmoil of his mind, a memory came into play.

"_The Force is pain." A voice spoke in Ben's ear._

_Ben shuddered at the warm breath he felt at his ear, not daring to look at his Master._

"_The Force is pain." Ben's Master repeated. "What is the Force?"_

"_Pain." Ben replied, looking up at a ceiling he could not see._

_Touching Ben's cheek with a cold hand, Ben's Master spoke again. "You have felt pain for all of your life, the death of hundreds by the hands of the enemy. The Force enjoys pain, even your parents."_

"_No." Ben protested._

"_Oh yes." Ben's Master hissed. "The darkness dulls the pain, the…rejection."_

_Shuddering, Ben licked his dry lips and swallowed hard. _

"_The Force is not to be trusted. It is pain." Ben's Master pressed._

"_No." Ben replied, using the anger in him to try to push his Master away from him. The result was a searing pain in his head._

_Smiling as Ben cried out, Ben's Master spoke. "You see. The Force can not be trusted. It is pain. Repeat what I just said."_

"_The Force can not be trusted. It is pain." Ben replied, a sob catching in his throat. _

_Ben's Master patted Ben's cheek and then walked away. "Very good."…_

"No, no." Ben protested, shaking his head violently. "The Force is pain, it's not to be trusted." He pressed his hands to the sides of his head as he felt the ghost of a past pain. "No, no." He mumbled to himself, in a near inaudible voice. "Don't want to believe that. Lies, lies, all lies."

Anakin sat on the cot and wrapped and arm around Ben and brought him in for a hug. "Ben." When Ben didn't respond to Anakin's voice and continued to mutter incoherently, Anakin put his finger under Ben's chin and lifted Ben's face. Blue emotion filled eyes met Anakin's calm blues and Anakin wiped Ben's tears with his thumb. "Ben, we want to help you. How can we help you?"

Swallowing back a silent sob, Ben managed to find his voice. "I…I want to be able to touch the Force without the fear of pain."

Obi-Wan and Anakin both stared at each other for a few seconds before Obi-Wan nodded. "We'll help you Ben."

Fresh tears escaped Ben's eyes and he nestled himself against Anakin's side. "Thank you."

A day later, Ben, Anakin, and Obi-Wan found theirselves in one of the gardens in a secluded spot.

Ben sat down in a meditative position and looked at Anakin and Obi-Wan who sat across from him. "Are you sure this will work?"

Obi-Wan nodded his head. "Yes. We'll guide you through the first few meditations, and then we'll see how far you can get on your own."

Biting his lower lip, Ben closed his eyes and slowly stretched out, immediately reaching for Anakin and Obi-Wan's presence. When he felt their warm reassuring presence wrap around his, he relaxed a tiny bit and let them lead him through the meditation.

Deeper and deeper they went into the warm, comforting currents of the Force. Ben paused halfway through the meditation, hesitating, his heart rate speeding up as his breathing quickened. Before Anakin and Obi-Wan could reassure him, Ben came out of the meditation, visibly shaking. "I can't do it."

Obi-Wan and Anakin opened their eyes and Anakin spoke first. "Yes you can Ben. You were using it during the battle on Geanosis, you can do it now."

"So? That was different." Ben responded.

"How was it different?" Obi-Wan asked.

Ben opened his mouth to respond, but closed it without a sound. A few seconds later he shook his head. "I don't know." He admitted.

"You were focused on the battle." Anakin answered for him. "You didn't have time to think about pain. Only when you were away from the battle did you realize that you had touched the Force and then you thought about the pain."

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement with Anakin as he came to the same conclusion.

Ben sighed and stood up. "I'm tired, I'm going to go to bed now."

Anakin and Obi-Wan watched him go, concerned looks on their faces.


	13. Chapter 13

_Ben struggled against his restraints as he watched his Master put his parents lightsabers into a box and wrap the box with his father's cloak. "Beast!" Ben snapped._

_Ben's Master raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Ben. "I'm a beast now am I? Hm, you could be right." He placed the box next to the furnace and then walked over to Ben who was struggling to hold back tears._

"_Why do you grieve for them? They caused you pain. The Force is pain, yet they created you to join them in the pain." Ben's Master told him, stroking Ben's cheek. "Use the Force. Tell me that is does not cause pain."_

_Ben used his anger to call upon the Force and pushed his Master away from him only to be hit by an incredible amount of pain. He cried out, his heart beating wildly in his chest._

"_You see?" Ben's Master chuckled. "The Force is nothing but pain. Forget about the Force Ben, forget who your parents were, make your own destiny at my side as we rule the galaxy."_

"_The Force will always be a part of me, I can't just wish it away." Ben replied._

_Ben's Master scowled. "You will. I will see to that."_

Ben curled tighter into a protective ball as he continued to sleep, the memories coming and going.

* * *

Obi-Wan found Anakin in the kitchen making tea and went to get himself a cup. "The Council is requesting our presence tomorrow in the morning."

Anakin put the tea bag into the water filled teacup and looked at his Master. "A mission?"

Obi-Wan nodded, picking up the kettle and carefully pouring some water into his cup. "I am sure it is."

Dropping the teabag into the trash can, Anakin took a sip of his tea. "They won't let us take Ben with us. I don't like the idea of leaving him here."

"I agree." Obi-Wan replied, stirring some milk into his tea. "He'll need to stay with someone he is comfortable being around."

"What about Senator Padme?" Anakin suggested.

Obi-Wan considered Anakin's suggestion for a few minutes before replying. "Do you think it will be okay with her?"

Anakin smiled and took another sip of tea. "I'm sure she will be thrilled."

"You can call her after the meeting then." Obi-Wan responded, leaving the kitchen.

Anakin finished his tea and cleaned the kitchen up before heading to his room. He stopped near Ben's room and stretched out with the Force to check on him and felt that Ben was in an uneasy sleep. Quietly Anakin opened the door to Ben's room and made his way in the dark to Ben. Sitting down on the side of the bed, Anakin placed his hand on Ben's shoulder and sent calming waves of the Force to him. Ben stilled in his bed and he fell into a more restful sleep. Satisfied, Anakin left Ben's room and headed for bed.

Ben lay still in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Since waking he had not moved, not even to cover his eyes from the rising sun. He heard voices outside his door and knew that Anakin and Obi-Wan were already up and about, still he did not move.

* * *

"Ben, breakfast is ready." Anakin called after he knocked on the door.

Ignoring Anakin, Ben simply continued to stare at the ceiling.

Anakin opened the door and walked inside. "I know you're up."

"I'm not hungry." Ben stated.

"Would it help to know that I didn't do the cooking?" Anakin asked, a small smile on his face.

"No." Ben replied, his voice so low that Anakin had to strain to hear him.

Anakin sat down beside Ben and waited a few seconds before speaking again. "Is there anything that you want to talk about?"

Breaking his gaze on the ceiling, Ben looked at Anakin. "You know don't you? You know who I am."

The tone of Ben's voice was almost accusing and Anakin didn't blame him. He really had no business looking at Ben's holopicture. "Yes."

Ben turned over on his side away from Anakin and asked. "Who else knows?"

"Just me, but Obi-Wan does know that you are from the future." Anakin admitted. When Ben did not say anything for a couple of minutes, Anakin asked. "I know I shouldn't pry about future events, but if you need to talk I am here for you." When he still didn't get a response, Anakin stood and left the bedroom.


	14. Chapter 14

_Ben stepped off the ramp of the ship onto the dry dusty yellow ground, ignoring Jacen's order to wait for him. He walked a couple of feet from the ship and looked around. The land was rugged and totally barren of any life, at least no life that Ben could see at the moment._

"_I told you to wait for me." Jacen reprimanded Ben in a stern voice, coming up behind him._

"_I don't see how anything could possibly live here. This place feels dead." Ben stated._

_Jacen surveyed the landscape and then looked at Ben. "Things are not always what they seem to be."_

_Ben rolled his eyes and walked away. "Sure. This place is dead Jacen, I'm certain of it. I don't sense any life, except us, at all."_

_Jacen ran his hand over his face, his frustration mounting. "Ben."_

_Turning on his heel, Ben faced Jacen. "What?"_

"_Never totally assume anything. What if there were Yuuzhan Vong__ around? You wouldn't be able to detect them with the Force." Jacen lectured._

"_I doubt there are any here." Ben replied._

_Closing his eyes, Jacen released his frustration into the calming waves of the Force as he answered, his voice even and firm. "You are missing the point."_

_Shrugging his shoulders, Ben turned back around and continued to walk away. "You said that everyone can have there own opinions."_

"_I'm not making an opinion. It's a fact that there may be lifeforms that we can't sense in the Force. The Yuuzhan Vong__ have proved it." Jacen responded, walking in long strides to catch up to Ben._

_Ignoring him, Ben began to climb up a sloping rock formation. By the time he got to the top, his legs and arms were aching and his shirt was wet with sweat as it dripped from Ben's face. Looking around Ben spotted something in the distance. At first it looked like a mountain that was shaped funny, but as he stared at it a feeling of dread formed in his mind, mixed with curiosity. He was so entranced by the sight that he didn't hear Jacen come up behind him._

"_What do you see?" Jacen asked, standing beside Ben._

_Jacen's voice shook Ben out of his absorption in what he was looking at and he answered without looking at Jacen. "I'm not sure. It's like a mountain, but at the same time it isn't."_

_They heard an explosion some distance behind them and they turned to see a large chunk of their ship fly up into the sky and come crashing down._

"_Are we in trouble Master?" Ben asked, shocked at what had just happened…_

Ben woke from his unintended nap and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. The memories, they just kept coming, as if his Master was somehow able to still connect to his mind even though he was now in the past and his Master was in the distant future. _He can't find me. He doesn't know. He believes I'm dead, in ordinary circumstances I would be dead. But, I know I did die. I remember the pain from the fall, I remember my life flashing before my eyes, and I remember the bright light._

Eyes closing shut, Ben thought back some more until he reached the memory that held the reason for him being here.

* * *

Anakin stepped into Padme's office, the door sliding quietly shut behind him. 

Padme looked up from the datapad she was reading, and smiled when she saw Anakin. "It's been awhile." She stood up and walked over to him.

"It has, but that's no excuse for not contacting you." Anakin answered, embracing her in a warm, loving, hug.

"You've been busy. Ben told me that you and your Master managed to get guardianship over him." Padme told Anakin, returning the hug before pulling away.

Anakin nodded. "That and other things. Padme, I have a favor to ask. My Master and I are being sent on a mission and we can't take Ben with us. Ben needs to be with someone he knows right now, so I was wondering if you could watch him while we're gone."

"I'll be happy to." Padme replied.

Anakin lowered his head and planted a kiss on Padme's lips. "Thank you."

Padme returned the kiss, her eyes sparkling. "Your welcome, Anakin."

"We'll be leaving tonight so we'll drop Ben off at 18:00." Anakin added.

"Alright." Padme agreed. "Be safe."

Anakin grinned. "Am I always?" He turned to leave, Padme's laughter following him out of the door.

* * *

_Ben licked his dry, cracked lips as he eyed the door to his cell. It was open, beckoning him to take this chance, to escape, to regain the freedom that he had lost. Slowly Ben stood up from the dusty stone ground and walked toward the door, fear flickering through his mind that this was only another of his Master's twisted games._

_The door gave a sharp creak as Ben pushed it open and he tensed, waiting for the sounds of guards that were to come. Yet, as he stood, his heart hammering within his chest, no sounds of guards approaching came._

_He took a step out of his cell, then another, then another. Soon he was swiftly walking down the underground corridor. He reached the furnace room and entered, making sure he looked around first before proceeding. This was to easy, way to easy. Near the large furnace,Ben saw his father's cloak wrapped around a box that contained his parents lightsabers._

_Running, he grabbed them away from the furnace and went for the door that exited the room and led upwards out of the massive underground structure. Halfway to the exit, Ben stooped and unwrapped the cloak from around the box. He opened the box and reverently took out the lightsabers and hooked them to his belt, next he put on his father's cloak that was much to large for him._

_Tears shimmered in his eyes and he choked back a sob as he clutched his father's cloak tightly around himself. He continued on to the exit and a few minutes later was met by the bright light of the sun. Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness, Ben hurried on his way. He didn't know where he would go, or where to find transport off of this planet, but he did know that he wanted to get as far away as possible._

_He walked for what seemed like hours, the thought of pursuit had left him, all he could think about now was his thirst. He collapsed where he was, exhausted from the rough travel on foot and weak from lack of food and water. He curled up into a ball, that from a distance, someone would have thought he was just a black spot in the horizon._

"_I'm sorry father. I should have listened to you. I was selfish and ungrateful. Everything that has happened is my fault, I'll take the blame for it. It may have been better if I was never born." Ben sobbed out. "I was a terrible son. If I was never born then you and mom would be alive right now and the Jedi would still exist." _

_Hot tears trailed down Ben's cheeks as he continued. "What have I done father? I was not strong enough. I should have tried harder to warn you and mom and the rest of the Jedi. Instead I was weak, weak and pathetic. I don't deserve the name Skywalker."_

"_I'm a murderer. My inaction and rebelliousness has led to countless deaths." He stopped as he felt the ground shake beneath him. Drawing in a sharp intake of air, Ben sprang to his feet and saw a cloud of dust rise in the distance. His Master was coming for him. Ben took off at a run, knowing that if he was caught that he would receive an even worse punishment than he had received in the past. Why not? He deserved it didn't he?_

_The desire to flee was greater and so Ben ran until he could run no farther when he reached a bottomless chasm. He turned around to face his pursuers, his breathing coming in gasps._

_Ben's Master descended from his eight footed ride and approached Ben, his whip ready in his hand. "You still have not learned, have you?"_

_Ben said nothing, but he visibly trembled as he warily watched the whip in his Master's hands._

"_You fear this?" Ben's Master remarked, lifting his whip. "This is only a teacher. The only thing to fear is the Force."_

"_I…" Ben started to say, but paused as his Master moved his whip from hand to hand._

"_Come on back willingly and your lesson won't be as harsh." Ben's Master spoke in a deceptively soothing voice._

_Ben violently shook his head. "No! No more lessons." He watched as his Master raised his whip to strike, and as the whip came down, Ben took a step back and fell down the chasm._

_He screamed as he fell and memories of the past rushed passed him and, with a painful jolt, Ben struck the ground. He saw a bright light and then nothing._


	15. Chapter 15

As Anakin walked down the Senate halls, he spotted Chancellor Palpatine a few feet away. Walking up to him, Anakin bowed his head in respect. "Chancellor Palpatine."

"Ah, Anakin. It's been awhile." Palpatine responded with a smile. "Is your Master well?"

"He is well Chancellor." Anakin confirmed.

Palpatine nodded in satisfaction. "And your young charge? Ben, I believe he said his name was."

Anakin hesitated briefly and then slowly answered, "He's doing alright. He was involved in a minor incident in the lower levels, but he is recovering. If I may ask Chancellor, when did you and Ben meet?"

"Oh, a little more than a week ago, when he went to visit Senator Padme. He's a bright kid. Tell him I hope he makes a full recovery."

"I will do that. Good day Chancellor." Anakin responded and then continued out of the Senate building.

* * *

Ben stood on the flat roof of the Temple, watching speeders fly by and people walk on the sidewalks to their destinations. The wind was strong from this level, causing Ben to have to grip the safe guard railing along the edge of the roof.

"May I join you?" Obi-Wan asked as he came to stand by Ben's side.

"If you want to." Ben replied as he continued to look straight ahead.

"The Council is sending Anakin and me on a mission. Anakin is making arrangements to have you stay with Senator Padme." Obi-Wan informed Ben.

There was silence for a few seconds before Ben asked. "Why can't I come along?"

Obi-Wan turned so that his back was against the railing so that he could see Ben's face. "The Council believes that it would be best if you remained here."

"They're not the ones watching me." Ben responded, his grip tightening on the railing.

"It is still the Council's decision. Besides, you should be resting." Obi-Wan reminded Ben.

Ben shook his head and changed the subject. "Do you think I'll ever get back to my own time?"

"I don't know." Obi-Wan admitted.

"What if someone died and then the Force sent them back in time. Is it possible to be sent back?" Ben questioned further.

Understanding began to dawn in Obi-Wan's eyes. "You think you died when you were sent to the past?"

Ben shook his head. "I know I died. I fell into an abyss. I felt myself hit the ground hard, my life flashed before my eyes and then I saw a light. Not to long afterwards I found myself on Tatooine, just before…." Ben stopped, unwilling to mention the fact that Anakin had destroyed a Tuskin Raider village.

"Just before Anakin destroyed the Tuskin Raider village. Don't worry, Anakin told me what happened." Obi-Wan reassured Ben who was now looking at him with startled eyes.

Ben sighed and turned his head to continue looking at the flowing traffic. "I'm changing time just by being here. I shouldn't be here."

"The Force wouldn't have sent you here unless there was a reason." Obi-Wan pointed out.

Frowning, Ben answered. "If it's to change the past than I am the wrong person to do it."

Rubbing his bearded chin, Obi-Wan replied. "What if that's not the case than. What if the Force wants someone to help you?"

Ben snorted in disbelief. "Help me? Sending me to the past is helping me? The Force didn't help my parents, the Force didn't save the Jedi. I doubt the Force is helping me by sending me here. Besides, I died in my future. You say that you don't know if I can return. Well, I don't believe I can and I certainly can not remain here."

Mental alarms went off in Obi-Wan's head at Ben's last words. "Where will you go?"

"Every little thing affects the future, even our conversation now. Even leaving Coruscant is not an option." Ben responded, his voice so low that Obi-Wan had to use the Force to hear Ben better.

"Ben, you have changed things since you appeared on Tatooine. It won't hurt if you leave the planet because there are things that have already changed."

Closing his eyes, Ben took a deep breath and then slowly let it out. "I won't be responsible for anymore changes." He turned away from the railing and walked along the side of the roof, Obi-Wan following right behind him.

Danger tickled at Obi-Wan's mind, and then became a strong warning as Ben leapt onto the railing that was about a handwidth wide and Ben balanced precariously on it.

Obi-Wan slowed his steps and spoke gently. "So this is your solution?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Ben began to walk on top of the railing, the wind making his balance even more unstable. "I would rather die fighting. I was going to let the Sith destroy me, but Anakin and you showed up to soon."

_So I was partly correct._ Still, knowing that he had been halfway correct about Ben's attentions, Obi-Wan still found himself having a hard time absorbing this information and the shock with it. "Was it the same on Geanosis?"

Ben stopped walking, his back facing Obi-Wan. "No. The Jedi were in trouble, they needed help." He paused as a thought came up that had been nagging at him in the back of his mind. "Why so many Jedi? Why not troops and just a few Jedi? So many Jedi were killed just so that you, and then, Anakin and Padme, could be rescued and the Sith stopped. It does not make sense for so many Jedi to lose their lives for two Jedi and a Senator. They didn't even know about Anakin and Padme's capture until they arrived."

"Something similar happened in your time, am I right?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes." Ben responded, just as a powerful gust of wind blew, almost causing Ben to lose his balance.

Obi-Wan erected a Force shield near Ben's right side to keep Ben from going over the edge as he slowly made his way closer. "Have you ever heard the saying; 'one for all and all for one'?"

Licking his dry lips, Ben shook his head. "No. Let me tell you a saying. 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'."

"One person can affect many people." Obi-Wan responded.

"For better or for worse." Ben carefully turned around to look at Obi-Wan. "No one needs me. It is because of me that many have died. Sometimes saving one person is not worth it."

"Now that is not true." Obi-Wan responded as the wind began to blow again. "Whatever happened in your future is not your fault. "You did not kill them."

Clenching his fists, Ben replied in an angry voice. "How would you know! You weren't there to see!"

Just then a powerful gust of wind swept at them and caused Ben to loose his balance.


	16. Chapter 16

Thankfully the wind pushed Ben to the safety of the roof and not the other way around. Ben instinctively reacted so that he wouldn't be hurt by the fall and when he stood up, he found Obi-Wan staring down at him.

"So are you saying that I should blame myself for what happened on Geanosis?"

"You're not going to lecture me?" Ben asked in a surprised voice.

Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest and responded. "Do you want me to lecture you?"

Ben shook his head. "No." Ben turned away from Obi-Wan and looked into the distance.

There was silence between them for several minutes and then they heard footsteps coming from behind them.

"It sure is windy up here." Anakin commented as he walked over to his Master's side.

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin who was now studying Ben. "Did Senator Padme agree to take Ben in for awhile?"

"Yes Master." Anakin answered.

Ben chose at that moment to join in although he did not turn around to face them. "I would rather stay in our quarters."

"That's not an option, Ben." Anakin responded.

"I'll let you two talk, I need to go do some last minute things." Obi-Wan said, excusing himself and walking away.

With a defiant gleam in his eyes, Ben turned around to face Anakin. "I don't have to listen to what you or what anyone else says!" He snapped and stormed away from Anakin.

"Ben Jade Skywalker!" Anakin stated firmly, causing Ben to stop where he was. "You need to change that attitude of yours!"

Ben clenched his hands into fists as anger swelled up inside of him and swung around to face Anakin. "Don't call me that and don't lecture me!"

"I'm not…." Anakin began, but was cut off.

"Yes you are!" Ben yelled.

Anakin took a deep breath and slowly let it out, attempting to keep himself calm. "Getting angry solves nothing."

Ben snorted at that. "So now you realize this after you killed the Tuskins? Do you truly believe your words?"

"Now who is the one lecturing?" Anakin remarked, crossing his arms.

Eyes narrowing, Ben glared at Anakin and then turned and headed for the stairs. "I need to go pack."

_Well, that went smoothly_. Anakin thought sarcastically to himself and then headed in the direction that Ben had gone.

"_Well now, isn't this a treat. Skywalker's own son in my presence." The dark one hissed as he stroked Ben's cheek with a pale, wrinkled finger._

_Ben struggled against his bonds in an useless attempt to free himself. "Where is my Master?"_

_The dark one smiled evilly, "He is not important, from now on, I am your Master."_

"_I will never call you Master!" Ben declared, forming his hands into fists. Jacen is my Master, not you!"_

"_We will have to change that now won't we?" The dark one responded and then turned around and clapped his hands loudly twice._

_Two black robed Beings entered the room, dragging an unconscious Jacen with them. They dropped him in the middle of the floor and bowed to their Master before leaving._

_The dark one walked over to Jacen and pulled out a familiar lightsaber from inside his cloak. "I am sure you recognize your lightsaber." He turned it around in his hands, a wicked gleam in his yellow eyes as he looked at Ben's pale face. "Much like your father's. A weapon used to defend the innocent." He walked around Jacen, and then walked back to Ben. "A weapon used to kill."_

_Ben watched as the dark one switched on the green blade and did a few test swings. "What do you want with us?"_

_Shutting down the blade and placing it back inside his cloak, the dark one pulled out a small vial and held it out for Ben to see. "This is my own formula I created. It has some interesting effects when it's swallowed." A nasty looking grin spread on the dark one's face as he opened the vial and then forced Ben to drink it. "Drink it. It is quite delicious."_

_Ben pressed his lips firmly together to prevent the dark one from getting the black substance into his mouth, but he was not prepared for the startling smell that soon forced his mouth open so that he could breathe. As soon as the substance was poured into his mouth, Ben spat it out, but the substance that did remain in his mouth was enough for it to do its work on Ben._

_The dark one chuckled as Ben fell unconscious and released Ben from the bonds that held him against the wall. _

_Ben fell to the ground and the dark one put Ben's lightsaber into Ben's hand and then put Jacen's lightsaber into Jacen's hand. Nodding in satisfaction, the dark one left the room._

Ben abruptly woke up as his tossing had caused him to make contact with the floor. Grunting, Ben sat up and worked on untangling himself from the sheets. Once he was free, Ben Went into the refresher for a shower, having no desire to fall back to sleep. The memories of the past kept coming, ever since his arrival in the past the memories of his past haunted him.

After a long hot shower, Ben got dressed and left the bedroom. The sun was just beginning to rise in the sky Ben noticed as he stepped out onto the balcony. _Why would the Force want to keep me alive? I have done nothing to deserve having the Force protect me. I am useless, weak. If I prevented myself from ever being born then the Jedi may stand a chance, Jacen won't die by my hand, no one will die because of me._

"Ben." Padme spoke from behind him.

Ben quickly wiped the tears away from his face before facing Padme. "Aren't you going to the Senate today?" Ben asked when he noticed Padme was wearing a regular dress.

"I'm taking a day off." Padme explained. "I'm going to make breakfast, is their anything specific you want me to make?"

Ben shook his head. "No, I'm not hungry."

"Alright than. Would you like to go sightseeing?" Padme suggested.

Ben shook his head no again and walked back into the living area and sat down on a light brown couch.

Padme sat down beside him and noticed a tear escaping his eye. "Would you like to just talk?"

Wiping the tear away, Ben looked up at Padme and then looked down at his hands.

Wrapping an arm around Ben, Padme brought him into a hug and he snuggled against her. "Would you like to hear about how I first met Anakin?" Getting no response, Padme decided to continue anyway. "I met Anakin in a junk shop on Tatooine. He was nine years old and I was fourteen. At that time I was Queen of Naboo. My planet had been blockaded and then invaded. I had escaped with the help of Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. When we had escaped the blockade, we sustained some damage to the hyperdrive and so we landed on Tatooine. Pretending to be a handmaiden, I got to go with Qui-Gon, Jar Jar, and Artoo into town. Now Anakin, at the time was a slave to a Toydorian, Watto. I remember when I made a comment and he firmly replied that he was a person and his name is Anakin." Padme smiled at the memory, Anakin had grown in so many ways since that day.

"Qui-Gon was unable to buy a new hyperdrive with the credits he had and so we left the shop, and we headed back to the ship. On our way back, Jar Jar managed to get himself in a bit of trouble with a Dug and Anakin came to his rescue. Anakin bought us some pallies from a vendor and the vendor informed us that a sandstorm was coming. Anakin asked us if we had anywhere to stay and when he found out that our ship was on the outskirts of town, Anakin insisted that we come back home with him, because he knew that we would never make it before the storm hit." Padme continued.

Ben closed his eyes and simply listened, leaving everything behind and just lived in the moment. For now, there was no death, no evil, no suffering, nothing, only someone holding him close and telling him a story. When Padme finished her story, Ben looked up at her with a questioning look in his eyes. "You love him."

Padme nodded. "Yes I do, very much." She looked into Ben's eyes and saw his eyes shining with unshed tears. "It's alright to cry you know."

"Crying shows that you're weak." Ben responded.

"No it doesn't Ben. It shows that you have emotions like everybody else." Padme told him. "It is alright to cry."

Ben closed his eyes, relishing the feeling of safety and warmth in Padme's arms. Tears escaped his eyes and he cried into Padme's side, releasing the emotions that he had held inside for so long.


	17. Chapter 17

_Ben woke up and found himself looking into a very distorted face. He blinked and the beast opened its mouth, revealing small sharp teeth with blood dripping from them. Terrified, Ben scrambled away and then, when he was against the all, he noticed his lightsaber in his hand._

_Igniting the lightsaber, Ben yelled, "Get back!"_

_The two legged hairy beast took a step back and then whipped its spiky long tail at Ben._

_Ben jumped over the tail and charged at the beast, only to be tripped by another beast's tail. Swallowing hard, Ben drew on the Force for guidance and support, but the Force was elusive._

_A third beast joined in the fight just as Ben managed to slice one of the beast's arms off._

_Somehow he managed to kill two of them with little injury to himself and went on to slicing the third Beast's head off._

_Breathing hard from the exertion, Ben shut his lightsaber down and sank to the floor, sweat dripping down his face. His eyelids felt heavy and soon he was laying on the floor fast asleep._

_When Ben woke up again he screamed. In front of Ben's face was his Master's head, his former Master's head. Ben scrambled on all fours as far away from his Master's head and headless corpse as possible, his heart racing. Tears streamed down Ben's cheeks and he curled himself into a fetal position. "What have I done? Force, what have I done?" Ben cried out in horror._

"_My boy, what have you done?" The dark one said as he knelt down next to Ben who was rocking back and forth. The dark one wrapped an arm around Ben and spoke in a soft voice. "You have killed your Master, now what would your father say?"_

_At the mention of his father, Ben sobbed even harder. He failed his Master, he had failed the Jedi, but most of all he had failed his parents. They would hate him, he had killed, had killed his own Master._

"_Oh my poor boy. You have no where to go now, murderers are despised. No one wants to be around a murderer." The dark one drew Ben closer to himself and said. "I will keep you safe and take care of you. I will never hate you."_

_So caught up in his grief, the dark one's words didn't all register in Ben's mind and he let the dark one draw him close._

_The dark one smiled in satisfaction. The boy was his._

Ben stirred on the couch and opened his eyes to find himself looking into caring brown eyes. Bringing a hand to his face, Ben wiped the still wet tears from his face and then sat up.

"Do you feel better now?" Padme gently asked.

Ben nodded. "A little bit." He looked down at his hands and then looked up at Padme. "You still love Anakin even though he killed a village of Tuskin Raiders?"

"Yes I do. Do you want to know why?" Padme asked. Ben nodded and Padme continued. "What Anakin did was wrong, I know that and he knows that. I forgave him because I love him, because I know that he is sorry for what he had done and regrets his actions."

"Would you still love him if he betrayed and murdered a large group of people?" Ben questioned.

Padme looked at Ben curiously, wondering what had happened in Ben's past that had him asking these types of questions. "I would still love him even then."

Ben frowned and looked down at his hands. "I don't get it. How can you love someone if he or she has done evil? It doesn't make any sense."

"Ben, would you like to tell me what happened?"

Biting his lower lip, Ben mentally debated whether he should or not. Finally deciding that he had nothing to lose by telling her, Ben nodded. "I am from the future, I was brought here by the Force for some reason. In my future my Master and I were captured by…."

As Ben told his story, Padme listened intently and drew Ben close to comfort him as he told how his master was killed and about his parent's deaths. By the time Ben was finished, tears were already falling from Padme and Ben's faces.

Concluding his story with his appearance on Tatooine, Ben tensed under Padme's arm, waiting for the inevitable reaction of anger and disgust.

Padme felt Ben tense up and the ache in her heart increased even more. She moved Ben onto her lap and hugged him close. "I forgive you Ben." Padme told him, knowing that what happened was not Ben's fault, but understanding that Ben needed someone to say those words to him.

Relaxing, Ben laid is head on Padme's chest and cried.

* * *

Obi-Wan found Anakin staring out of one of the veiwports of the ship and, sensing that Anakin was troubled by something, Obi-Wan walked over to him.

Anakin spoke as Obi-Wan came up beside him. "I don't think we should have left Ben on Coruscant."

"Why?" Obi-Wan asked.

Pressing his lips together, Anakin continued watching the stars streak past and then looked at Obi-Wan. "Perhaps it is nothing, but my dreams have had come true in the past."

"You had a dream about Ben?"

Anakin nodded and then looked back out of the veiwport. "Fearing to touch the Force doesn't mean that Ben won't turn to the Dark Side, Master. In fact, the risk of him turning is greater, despite all that he has been through. He still harbors so much anger and even though he fears to touch the Force he fails to realize that it is still possible for him to fall."

Troubled by Anakin's words Obi-Wan sank into a light meditation trance, seeking guidance from the Force.

* * *

Palpatine was finishing off some paperwork when he heard a hissing sound in his office. Looking around for the source, Palpatine saw a pair of red eyes peering at him in a shadowed part of the office and then the being spoke.

"Ah, Darth Sidious. It is a pleasure to meet you at last." The being with red eyes spoke. "We have much to plan."


	18. Chapter 18

Ben abruptly jolted awake, sitting up in his bed. His eyes were wide open and his breathing came in shallow gasps. The room was still in darkness with only flickers of light coming from outside the window where speeders were coming and going and light from buildings where the late night shift people were working.

The air in the room felt chilly, causing Ben to lay back down and wrap the covers tightly around him. However the coldness remained and the silence became harsh instead of soothing. Ben swallowed hard as he fought to remain calm. The darkness became stifling, like a large blanket intent on smothering him. Ben let out a weak whimper and buried himself under the covers, but the feeling of dread didn't go away.

_There is no escape young Skywalker. You will meet your destiny._

"No." Ben whimpered in protest, burying himself deeper into the covers.

_Oh. You don't want to follow in the footsteps of your grandfather and father?_

"Go away!" Ben cried, covering his ears with his hands.

_What about your cousins, Jaina and Jacen? They too ventured into the darkness._

"Jaina wasn't there for long and Jacen never ventured into the Darkside." Ben responded, wishing the dreaded voice to go away.

_Oh, but Jacen did young one. Your former Master had been on that path for years and still was when he died._

"Liar!" Ben yelled. "Jacen would never turn to the darkside and I will never turn either."

_Famous last words. 'Never' is such a strong word and people who say 'never' about something usually find theirselves doing it._

Ben curled up into a tight ball, his arms hugging his legs to his chest. "I will find a way."

_Even if it means that someone has to die? Murder is a good way to begin your descent into the darkness._

"I won't be alive to care." Ben responded.

_Really? So who will it be? Your father perhaps? Or maybe your mother. Or perhaps even better, your grandmother. Of course you can go even farther than that and kill your grandfather. What better way to get your revenge on the Force then by killing your grandfather who was chosen by the Force to bring balance._

His heart clenched tightly and Ben felt like the air had been knocked out of lungs. Attempting to gather what composure he had left, Ben responded. "If it means getting rid of you then so be it."

_Such determination. To bad you don't have the willpower to carry it out._

"I can do it!" Ben growled out.

_Well, I suppose it is possible, considering your disdain for the Force. But will that be enough?_

"Yes."

_Then show me that you can._

Ben trembled under his covers as the voice left and the coldness in the room melted away and the suffocating darkness pulled back. Tears ran down Ben's cheeks and a sob escaped his mouth. He remained in the curled fetal position for about two hours before he uncurled himself and sat up. Getting up out of bed, Ben walked over to a chair, that was in a corner of the room, near the door and took his father's cloak off it. Wrapping the warm, comforting, material around him, Ben left the bedroom he was occupying and quietly made his way to Padme's room.

Slowly and carefully Ben eased open the door and looked inside the bedroom. Padme was sound asleep, unaware of the danger that lurked in the shadows. Ben watched as she shifted around in the bed and laid on her other side. It would be so easy to do the deed while she slept, while she was vulnerable.

Ben moved slowly and carefully toward the bed until he stood next to the bed. The lights coming from outside caused Padme's face to be dimly lit. Looking at her face, Ben was reminded of her gentleness, her forgiving and caring heart, and how she had comforted him. He was also reminded that she was the one who brought his father and aunt into the world. A father who fell into darkness for several months before coming back into the light. His aunt bore three children: Jaina who had a brush with the Darkside but quickly came back to the light. His younger cousin, Anakin, who, while he didn't touch the darkness, his death did push Jaina toward the darkness. Jacen, who, if what the dark one said was true, had been traveling the path of the Darkside for years. Then there was himself with the potential of traveling that same path of darkness.

It would be good to stop those future paths of darkness. It would be better for the galaxy and the Jedi. Ben reached for a pillow that was not being used and pulled it towards him and then stopped. Could he really do this? Before Ben's thoughts could go any further, Padme opened her eyes and stared right at him.

Ben froze as he looked into her eyes and the thin wall of resolve that he had built around himself crumbled, and he burst into tears.

Padme sat up and helped him onto her bed and settled him onto her lap, and wrapped her arms around him in a warm, comforting, hug.

* * *

Two full weeks had passed since they had been sent on their mission and now they were only three hours away from Coruscant and closing. Anakin closed his eyes as he stood in front of the viewport, his hands clasped behind his back. He cleared his mind and stretched out to the Force, relaxing as the soothing waves of the Force rushed over him. Anakin traveled along the streams of light that was the Force in a visible form, enjoying the refreshing feeling. 

All Jedi saw the Force in different ways and felt and heard it in different ways. The idea that the midi-chlorians are receptors to the Force was a laugh. They are not receptors, no, they are more like white blood cells. White blood cells are a poor example, but how to describe what midi-chlorians do is a difficult thing to do. Scientists can try all they want, but they will never find out the truth, not unless they are Jedi. Let the public believe what they want, we know the truth.

Our human bodies and even the bodies of other species are not equipped enough to handle the power of the Force, not alone, not without midi-chlorians. Every person has some amount of midi-chlorians, if they didn't then they would not be able to live. The Force, and only the Force can create midi-chlorians. Jedi have found that if a blood transfusion that place between a Force sensitive and a nonForce sensitive there is no change in sensitivity.

The more midi-chlorians a person has causes a person to have greater access to the Force. It's almost like water. A good portion of our bodies contain water, but if we have to much water we will die and if we have to little water we will die. The midi-chlorians regulate how much of the Force we can use without harming ourselves.

The Sith do not care about these boundaries and attempt to surpass them at great cost to themselves and to others. To make it a greater offense, the Sith do not give anything back to the Force.

Anakin's thoughts halted right there as he felt an odd ripple in the Force. Expanding his senses, Anakin looked deeper into the Force, attempting to find the source. A full hour later of complete immersion into the Force still failed to reveal a thing. Anakin could feel himself frowning and was about to come out of his meditation when he felt another presence join him.

/Anakin, we'll be entering orbit in fifteen minutes./

Anakin ignored him as he spotted another odd ripple. /Master, did you see that odd ripple?/

/No, I didn't see anything./ Obi-Wan answered, coming closer to Anakin's presence.

/Let's focus together than./ Anakin suggested.

Anakin and Obi-Wan combined their senses to where they could both see how each other saw the Force. The two images became one, creating a new unique image. The streams looked far away and shimmered like dew on a spider's web. Different bright lights surrounded them and almost seemed like they were dancing and following the streams.

Anakin moved deeper into the Force, followed by Obi-Wan and then they stopped as they saw something horrifying. A few of the streams were broken and in the broken places were jagged black scars that were slowly growing bigger.

/I don't understand. How can this be happening?/ Anakin asked, appalled at the sight.

/I don't know. Something is definitely wrong. If it took both of us to fully see this then there is something deeper going on besides there being two Sith and a war that needs to be dealt with./ Obi-Wan answered.

/Could this have something to do with Ben? Perhaps he has been able to see this on his own and that is why he feels pain when he touches the Force./ Anakin considered thoughtfully.

/It's possible. Once we land I'll go set up a meeting with Yoda and you can go pick up Ben. See if you can learn anything./

/Yes Master./ Anakin responded as they both emerged from their meditations.


	19. Chapter 19

Ben sat huddled on the couch, wrapped in his father's clock and his parents lightsabers hooked to his belt. He sensed Anakin's presence, before the door in the other room opened and then low talking as Anakin and Padme talked. Ben didn't look up as Anakin approached and sat down next to him on the couch.

"How are you feeling?" Anakin asked.

Ben gathered the cloak tighter around himself as he responded. "Okay, I guess."

"Are you ready to head back to the Temple?"

Ben shrugged his shoulders and then tensed when Anakin put an arm around him. Ben could feel Anakin's warm comforting presence surround him and drive back the shadows that surrounded him. It hurt, at first, but then it became quite pleasant. Slowly Ben began to relax and he snuggled into Anakin's side.

"Ben, what does the Force look and feel like to you when you meditate?" Anakin asked.

"What do you mean?" Ben responded. "Is it the same for everyone who are Force sensitive?"

Anakin shook his head. "No, it isn't. All Force sensitives see and feel it differently. A person's sensitivity, character, culture, environment, and other things can influence how they see the Force."

"Oh." Ben was silent for a few minutes before slowly beginning to speak. "The ground is red and cracked. There are streams of golden water that burns when it is touched. New cracks appear and old cracks close, leaving ugly black scars. The scars open up again and release something green and gooey and it flows into the streams of golden water." Ben shivered as he continued. "There is a sound, a wail that comes from the streams of golden water. The golden water looks so cool and refreshing, but it burns, it burns."

Anakin held Ben close as he began to tremble. "Shh. It'll be all right. We'll make things right again." Anakin paused as he sensed Ben's rising panic. Pulling down Ben's hood, Anakin put a finger under Ben's chin and directed his gaze to him. "Look at me, Ben."

Ben swallowed hard, still shaking, and looked into Anakin's calm, cool, blue eyes.

"I know it hurts, but you must accept that it hurts before you can do anything about it. The Force has not always been this way. We need to restore it back to what it was before, peaceful, refreshing, and steady."

"How? It hurts to much." Ben responded, tears filling his eyes.

"Close your eyes and recall all the presences in your life that were warm and comforting. Focus on the love they had for you and wrap it around yourself. Let their love strengthen you and help sweep away the pain. Now focus on the Force and draw it in." Anakin instructed. "Now how do you feel?"

"It's," Ben paused for a moment, marveling at the difference. "I can still tell the pain is there, but it's a dull throb now, not sharp like before." Ben looked curiously at Anakin. "How did you know that it would work?"

Anakin shrugged his shoulders. "I did some meditating on what I remember of you using the Force before and your reactions afterwards. I noticed that while you had no problem using the Force on Geonosis, you had a panic attack long after using the Force. Then when Obi-Wan and I were helping you meditate we saw that touching the Force was difficult for you. At the time I thought that you were able to use the Force without a problem on Geonosis because you were focused on the battle, but I reassessed that. Unconsciously you must have been doing what I have just instructed you to do."

Ben thought about that for a little while and then shrugged his shoulders. "I guess." He snuggled back into Anakin's side, relaxing into the warmth and light of Anakin's presence.

"We need to get going. Obi-Wan and Master Yoda are waiting for us." Anakin told Ben. He stood up and Ben followed, his left hand clinging to Anakin's cloak.

The return to the Temple was a quiet one and remained that way as they entered Yoda's quarters where Yoda and Obi-Wan were waiting for them.

Anakin and Ben bowed their heads in respect and then settle down on some large, plush, brown cushions.

Ben let go of Anakin's cloak and buried himself into his own cloak. He listened to Anakin talk for a little while and then let his mind wander. He felt the Force whisper to him and then images flashed through his mind. When Ben regained his focus on the present, he found that Anakin, Obi-Wan and Yoda were staring at him.

"What did you see?" Anakin asked, having sensed that the Force had shown Ben something.

Ben blinked and shook his head. "I'm not sure." He paused and narrowed his eyes. "It doesn't make sense. I saw events that didn't happen, but it also feels like they did happen."

"What you saw, tell us." Yoda prompted.

"I saw the planet my parents were killed on. I was there, the age I am now. I was with my father and my grandfather. My Master was also there. Something happened, I didn't see the events but I saw the results. My grandfather was dead and I was unconscious. The last image I had was of a med room and the image of myself lying in the med bed. I'm hooked up to lots of machines and I see my father crying and my mother trying to comfort him while she too is crying." Ben shook his head. "It doesn't make sense, those events didn't happen."

"This planet seems like a center point." Obi-Wan commented in a thoughtful tone.

Yoda looked at Anakin. "More open to the Force he is now. Perhaps buried memories they are?"

Anakin shook his head. "I don't see how that is a possibility, but I think I'm seeing what your seeing. If the images were Force visions, then why have those visions now?"

"Correct Obi-Wan may be in his belief that to help Ben the Force wants us." Yoda responded. "More going on here then we can see there is."

"I don't understand." Ben commented.

"Okay, so it seems Ben has two different memories of what happened on a certain planet. How does this information help us?" Anakin asked.

"Go to this planet the three of you will. There the answer lies." Yoda told them.

Ben shivered and pulled the cloak tighter around himself, but the chill remained. "Master Yoda, there is some more information you need to know. I haven't told Anakin and Obi-Wan yet."

"What is it?" Anakin asked, looking at Ben with concern on his face.

Ben swallowed hard. "The dark one…the one who killed my parents…he's here, on Coruscant."

Yoda's face looked grave. "Sure are you?"

Ben nodded. "Yes. He knows I'm here. He..he talked to me through the Force last night."

"Do you have any idea where he might be on Coruscant?" Obi-Wan questioned.

"No." Ben answered. "He is skilled at hiding his presence from Jedi, but I do know someone who might be able to sense him. The Sith Master the Jedi have been searching for."

"You know who the Sith Master is?" Anakin asked in response and then mentally kicked himself as he remembered that Ben was from the future.

A small smile slowly appeared on Ben's face. "Of course I do, but I won't say who it is."

"Is it possible that the dark one you speak of will ally himself with the Sith Master?" Obi-Wan asked in concern.

"That is possible, especially if he learned from last time." Ben responded.

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Last time?"

Ben chewed on his lower lip as he tried to figure out why he said what he said. "I…I'm not sure."

Yoda stared intently at Ben. "Traveled through time a lot have you?"

Ben looked at Yoda in confusion. "I'm sorry Master, I don't understand what you mean."

"If actual memories the images were, explain it how can you?" Yoda asked and then nodded after a few minutes of silence passed. "Remember everything you can't, symptom of traveling through time it may be."

"The turmoil in the Force could be effecting his memories too." Anakin added.

"If my memories have been effected, then we shouldn't go anywhere until we have enough information to take action." Ben told them. He closed his eyes and withdrew into himself. Flowing in the currents of the Force, Ben searched through his own mind for any blocked memories. Deeper, and deeper he went into his mind until he found the first blocked memory…

_Ben entered a dirty, smelly cantina and found a seat at the bar, not at all caring right now about where he was or the danger that might be lurking nearby._

_It was no more than a couple of minutes since Ben had entered the cantina when the band stopped playing and an angelic sounding voice filled the place. Life in the cantina seemed to pause as all attention began resting on the person who began to sing, even Ben was drawn away from his dark thoughts to listen._

_Ben turned around to look toward the stage and was greeted by a beautiful sight. For a moment he remembered the tales about angels that come from the fable planet of Eiago. The singer had long light brown hair that shined in the light, the sound of her voice as she sang was like the sound of the song birds on Yavin Four. She wore a light green dress that shimmered when she moved. Her voice sounded so refreshing, like drinking water from a cool, clean stream._

_All to soon the song ended, followed by a thunderous applause, snapping Ben back into reality. He was a stranger here, a person from the future. He had no business falling in love with someone he could never have. Turning back around, Ben sank back into his self-loathing and bitterness._

_Hours started to pass by one by one until an odd lull in the cantina came during the middle of the day. Most of the people in the cantina had left, even the band, but Ben didn't care._

"_Hey, do you mind if I sit by you?" A melodic voice spoke from next to Ben._

_Ben turned his head to the right and recognized the one that had sung a couple of hours ago. He turned his head away and mumbled. "You can."_

"_My name is Karine. What's yours?"_

"_Ben." He replied after a short silence._

_Karine studied him with her light green eyes for a couple of seconds before speaking again. "You look like you need someone to talk to."_

"_I'm fine!" Ben snapped, a bit harsher than he had intended to say it._

"_Okay. The cantina is about to close for a few hours, just so you know." Karine informed him._

_Ben stood up and headed out of the cantina without a word or glance at Karine..._

The memory ended and just as soon as Ben began to search again, he found another blocked memory…

_He kept in the shadows as he walked and an hour later arrived at the Senate building. Finding out where Palpatine's office was, Ben headed straight there, and when he arrived, Ben was immediately ushered inside Palpatine's office._

_Palpatine smiled at Ben warmly from his desk and gestured for Ben to sit down. "It is a pleasure to see you again. Please, sit down."_

_Ben sat down on a chair across from the desk and looked at Palpatine intently. "You may dispense with the pleasantries, Palpatine. I know who you really are. Sidious, the Sith Master."_

"_That's quite an assumption young one." Palpatine responded in a grandfatherly tone._

_Ben smirked. "Yes it is, especially since I am correct." Ben's gaze was piercing and almost unsettling. "I need your aid in defeating someone who is dangerous to both of us."_

"_I'm listening." Palpatine responded… _

The memory faded away before it finished and Ben found himself once again looking for more blocked memories. Two hours passed and he had found several more. Deciding he got enough information, Ben turned his focus outwards and opened his eyes to find Master Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Anakin patiently waiting for him.

"Did you find the information you were looking for?" Anakin inquired.

"Sortof. I do know now that the last time I made a jump through time I had enlisted the Sith Master's help in doing something. Whatever it was that we were going to do obviously didn't work because I made another jump in time." Ben informed them. "The catch in this is that before each of the jumps, I relive my life, but it is always different except for that one planet and the deep abyss. When this happened I can only remember the life I had before the jump and have fragments of memories from the past jumps and a fragment of the incident that led to my last jump."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard in thought, Yoda leaned forward on his stick, and Anakin scratched the back of his head.

Anakin ran his hand through his hair and then let his hands rest in his lap. "Okay, I think that makes sense." He narrowed his eyes and looked down at his hands and then began to fiddle with his mechanical hand. A couple of seconds later he stopped and looked up at Ben. "If the abyss on that planet holds some sort of time vortex, would we be able to use it to travel to your original timeframe and find out why you've been making these jumps?"

"I suppose we could." Ben slowly answered. "But I don't see how we can with how much the timeline has been altered. From what I could gather, I have already made this jump more than forty times."

Obi-Wan stopped stroking his beard and looked at Ben in shock. "More than forty times?"

"Hmm. Serious this is. Failed every time your mission did." Yoda responded.

"And the bigger problem is that now I can't recall what my mission is. I know it somehow involves the dark one, but that's all I know." Ben added.

"In every jump, you recall less." Anakin realized.

Ben nodded. "It also seems to me that somehow, the dark one is able to remember everything since the first jump. Already the dark one has gotten the Sith Master to ally himself with him." The Force whispered into Ben's ear and something dawned on him. "We don't have to go to the planet in order to go through the time vortex." Ben looked at Anakin. "Anakin can form one himself."

Anakin gave Ben an incredulous look. "That's not possible. I can't form a time vortex."

"You can. You have the gift, or you can say a curse because there is no good that comes from going back and forth through time. Basically it's just one of those things you're able to do because of your connection to the Force. A less meddling ability is flow-walking. This was an ability that one of my cousins was able to use."

"Alright, say that I can do this. How can I possibly send us to your original timeline?" Anakin replied, still unconvinced, but a little bit curious about this ability.

"You will have to focus on the memory fragment I have from my original timeline. I don't know where we'll end up or if we'll arrive fore of after the incident, but we will be in my original timeline. Of course that's a theory, because it might not work and we could end up moving forward or backward in this timeline instead, but it's the only theory I have."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Obi-Wan commented.

Ben ignored him and continued. "If we're going to attempt this we better do it soon. With the Sith Master at his side, the dark one will be able to make his move faster."

"Extra help you all will need." Yoda stated just as the door to Yoda's quarters slid open.


	20. Chapter 20

**Sorry this is so short. I just finished my first full week of college and still getting myself sorted out. The next chapter will hopefully be longer and sooner. We shall see. If i can just get my schedule where i want it then the next update should be sooner.**

* * *

Siri, Ferus, and Reeft listened intently to the mission they were going to undertake. They sat in stunned silence at the information they had been given.

"A time vortex?" Siri spoke in disbelief. "Forgive me for saying so, but would such a thing be almost impossible to do? Not to mention dangerous?"

"We do have living proof sitting in this room with us." Obi-Wan reminded her. "I do agree though that creating a time vortex is dangerous."

"The fact that Ben has made the jump to many times already in order to complete his mission tells us that damage has already been done. We need to prevent further damage." Anakin added.

"What if Ben's mission is to bring further damage? He can't even tell us what his mission is." Siri responded, looking suspiciously at Ben who seemed to have had slid into a meditation trance. "What is he doing right now?"

Anakin frowned at Siri, trying not to let his irritation show in his voice. "Why are you so quick to judge him as dangerous? We have told you everything we know about who he is, where he came from, everything. How can you say that his mission is for an evil purpose?"

Siri crossed her arms and glared at him. "Have you been so blinded by his plight that you can't see that something is very wrong?"

"Enough." Obi-Wan interrupted. "This argument will get us nowhere. What matters now is that we continue with the plan and…" Obi-Wan added quickly before Siri could say anything. "We will proceed with caution."

"Begin quickly you must," Yoda urged them. "Tremors in the Force there have been. May the Force be with you." Yoda told them and left the room.

Anakin looked at Ben who was still in the trance and placed his hand on Ben's shoulder. "Ben, we need to get started." When there was no response, Anakin attempted to send a message through the Force to Ben, but was repelled by Ben's mental shields.

Anakin narrowed his eyes and gave Ben's shoulder a light shake. "Come on Ben. It's time to snap out of it." Again there was no response.

* * *

"Execute order 66!" The dark one commanded Palpatine.

Palpatine visibly seethed. "That's out of the question! I will not let thousands of years of planning be thrown away so recklessly. The timing must be exact."

The dark one glared at Palpatine from across the desk and stepped out of the shadows in the dimly lit room. "We are wasting time. The boy is remembering. He will act quickly on what he remembers."

Palpatine stood up from his chair and planted his fingertips firmly on his desk. "I disagree. We can still gain control of the situation. I'll contact Anakin and have him come to my office. He's never refused to see me before."

"And if this plan of yours fails?" The dark one asked with a snarl.

A feeling of unease crept through Palpatine's mind, but he quickly squashed it with a surge of anger. "It will not. I assure you."

"Really? You underestimate young Skywalker. I am certain that he has already pulled Anakin out of your grasp." The dark one responded. "Already your plan has failed even before it has begun. Give the order to the clones. Now!"

"You underestimate my control over Anakin. He will listen to me and prevent Ben from making his move." Palpatine replied instead. "I have known him for far longer than you have."

The dark one clenched his hands into fists, fury pouring out of him. "And I know Ben Skywalker better than you!"

"Anakin's weakness is his attachment to his family and that weakness can easily be used against him." Palpatine pointed out. "Does Ben have this same weakness?"

"Young Skywalker may have the same weakness, but he is not his grandfather. Ben knows when to let go." The dark one responded.

"Perhaps, but is it possible that after many jumps and the slow recovery process of some of the memories from past jumps, that Ben may be more susceptible to this weakness?" Palpatine suggested.

The dark one hissed between his teeth. "It won't work. As soon as Ben realizes what his mission is he won't let his attachments keep him from completing his mission."

"Talking about me I see." A bright, warm presence filled the office, causing Palpatine and the dark one to cringe as the light pierced through the shadows and pricked the darkness that surrounded and filled them. They looked around, but did not see anyone.

Ben laughed. "Did you honestly believe that I have become weaker?"

The dark one snarled. "You're bluffing. You can't have recovered every memory already."

"No, only the important ones." Ben responded. "The Force is my ally, it won't let me fail. Already I know enough to finish what my grandfather started."

"Your grandfather failed," The dark one spat. "You are arrogant to think that you can accomplish what he could not."

"Palpatine, we made a good team last time. Why don't you come and join me? You will gain nothing if you ally yourself with this creature." Ben suggested.

The dark one whipped his head around to look at Palpatine. "You see, he is weak if he has to have help to complete his mission. He's nothing but a liar. Don't listen to him."

"Do I sense fear in you?" Ben asked the dark one. "Imagine that. The creature who wants total dominion over the galaxy and believes himself to be all powerful is…afraid."

Pure hatred rose up within the dark one until he felt like he would explode from the pressure. "When I catch you, I will make sure that you suffer a slow and painful death, force you to watch your friends suffer and die, bring you all back to life and begin the process again. An eternal hell!"

"Ooo, I'm scared." Ben replied in a sarcastic tone. "Endless torture. Lovely."

Palpatine could hardly believe what he was hearing and could only silently watch the dark one and listen. This Ben was different from the Ben that he knew, at least, the Ben he thought he knew. His head began to pound as he tried to sort through this confusion. How and when did this change take place? Had it been a ruse from the beginning?

The dark one hissed and then spoke to Palpatine. "Execute order 66 now. We have already wasted precious time."

"Are you so weak now that you can't conjure up your own army from hell?" Ben spoke to the dark one. "The Clones were made to serve Palpatine, not you!"

The dark one snarled. "I am not weak!" He walked over to the large window, stretched out his hands, and began to chant in an unfamiliar language.

Lightning flashed through the clear blue sky and thunder rumbled. Dark clouds began to fill the sky and the ground started to shake as the chanting continued.

"Come on, Palpatine, do you really want to follow this creep?" Ben asked. "Join me and you will get your Empire and Anakin Skywalker will be your apprentice."


	21. Chapter 21

Ben's eyes opened and he looked at every person in the room. "Are we ready to begin?" Ben asked.

"One question first." Siri spoke. "What were you doing before? You weren't meditating."

Ben smiled. "Nothing that anyone should be concerned about. Are there any more questions?" When no one spoke, Ben nodded his head. "Good. Now let's gather into a circle. Reeft, stand next to Siri, Siri, next to Obi-Wan, Ferus next to Obi-Wan, and then Anakin you will stand next to Ferus." Ben stood between Reeft and Anakin and noticed a brief exchange of glares between Anakin and Ferus. "In order to begin, everyone must clear their minds and close their eyes. Imagine that there is a small flame in the darkness and focus on it. Now, everyone hold hands with the person next to you." Through the Force Ben sent Anakin information about what to do while he continued to give instructions to the others.

Anakin concentrated hard, fighting to keep himself centered and not think about the fact that Ferus was going with them on this mission. Drawing on the Force, he mentally spoke some ancient words and then just let himself fall into the grasp of the Force. He felt himself falling…falling…and falling. The air around him roared and a strong wind swept past his face. It grew cold and then hot, the air smelled foul and then smelled sweet. The wind began to calm into a gentle breeze and then he heard the sound of birds chirping.

Slowly Anakin opened his eyes and saw that they were in a green meadow, and in the distance was a vague outline of what looked like a Temple. Anakin release Ferus' and Ben's hands and backed up as he continued to look at his surroundings.

Ben breathed in the hot, sweet smelling air and smiled. He was home. At least close to home. It felt right, but didn't feel right at the same time. What was broken had not yet been fixed. "We are here. We should move quickly. The dark one will find us eventually, but hopefully the fact that I time jumped will throw him off for awhile." Ben looked at Anakin and Ferus who had moved even further away from each other. He narrowed his eyes as he spoke to them. "Anakin and Ferus, I would like to speak with you in private."

Anakin and Ferus glared at each other and then followed Ben, careful to keep their distance.

* * *

Siri watched them go with a frown on her face. "A child shouldn't be leading this mission, nor should be allowed to boss people around."

Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulders. If he looked older, you would think differently. He has different memories of times and places we know nothing about and he has time jumped multiple times. Mentally he is older than his body."

"Still, I don't trust him." Siri responded.

Reeft stood next to Obi-Wan and watched Ben disappear from view into a forest. "Did I ever tell you guys how much I love a good mystery?"

Siri and Obi-Wan looked at Reeft and Reeft smiled.

"Of course I did. In every mystery there are facts that need to be found and put together. In this case, we are dealing with a boy who is a mission that he keeps failing at, he timejumps, there is a planet where he has been timejumping from, and now, here we are in a different time and place, but there is a fact that no one except me and possibly Ben have noticed so far?"

"What fact is that?" Siri asked.

"The Force is cold and quiet." Reeft responded in a grave voice. "To quite."

* * *

Ben led them through the woods and into a small clearing and sat down on a log. "Sit down next to each other. It's hard to speak to only two people when one is on the far left and the other is on the far right." Ben firmly told them.

Anakin and Ferus grudgingly sat down next to each other across from Ben and looked at him, waiting.

"Both of you are acting like children. I'm not sure what issues you both have with each other, but it needs to be resolved in order to ensure the success of this mission." Ben paused, letting that sink in. "During the jump I remembered part of a memory from the original timeline. Both of you were best friends in that one. We all need to work together, we all need to trust each other. Now, I have an assignment for both of you. To the north of here is the Jedi Temple, about an hour walk. I need both of you to gather information about the events that occurred on the planet I spoke of and to find out what has happened since then."

Ben stood up and they did the same. "I would suggest that both of you try to resolve your differences during the walk there. We will meet back here in the clearing in four days."

"What will you and the others be doing during that time?" Anakin asked.

"We'll be going into town to stay on the lookout for the dark one." Ben answered. "May the Force be with you."

Anakin and Ferus watched Ben leave and then they also headed out of the woods and then headed north. They walked in silence for about half an hour before one of them spoke.

"Why are you back? I thought you had left the Order for good." Anakin asked.

Ferus shrugged his shoulders, refusing to look at Anakin. "When I came to Coruscant to do some business a couple of days ago, I had no plans to go near the Temple, much less go inside."

"How did you find out about the mission?" Anakin questioned after a minute of silence.

"I had a little run in with Ben. He was outside the Senate building waiting for someone and he spotted me. We had an interesting conversation. Before he left with a senator, he asked me to stay on Coruscant for a couple more days." Something about him drew my curiosity so I decided to stay on Coruscant for a while longer. Earlier today, I think as he was heading to the meeting, he contacted me through the Force and told me to go to Yoda's quarters and wait outside the door." Ferus explained. "I was going to refuse, but I felt the Force leading me to go do so."

Anakin frowned. "I'm starting to think that Siri is right that there is something amiss about Ben. He knows more then he is letting on."

"So do you. Is it just me or is there a small resemblance between the two of you?" Ferus asked.

"He is from an alternative universe and a different timeline." Anakin reminded Ferus before adding. "Yes, there is a small resemblance. Apparently in his alternative universe, he's my grandson."

Ferus looked at Anakin, his eyes wide. "Your grandson? But, Jedi are not supposed to have attachments. You're not married are you?"

"No, I'm not married." Anakin responded.

Ferus snorted. "Not yet. I know you, Anakin, you just love to break rules."

"And you love being terribly strict." Anakin retorted. "Not only do you follow the code perfectly, but you invent other rules as well. In other words, you are a legalist."

"And I'm proud of it! And if you were too then your anger wouldn't have gotten the best of you and Darra would not have died!" Ferus snapped.

Anakin stopped walking and turned to face Ferus. "Well maybe you should have double-checked the lightsaber after you repaired it! Being that you are a legalist, I'm surprised that you did not have a rule about double-checking your work! The fault is yours and you know it!"

Ferus glared at Anakin and he felt anger begin to boil within him. "No it wasn't! You should have said something when I was fixing Tru's lightsaber!"

"Oh? The 'perfect' padawan needed to be told to double-check his work?" Anakin responded is a sarcastic tone of voice. "Well look at it this way. What if I had no idea that you had made another repair to Tru's lightsaber?"

"Blast it, Anakin! The point is that you knew!" Ferus shouted.

Anakin tried to release his anger into the Force, but it just exploded into more words. "You should have still double-checked your work! Your overconfidence in your skills killed Darra!"

"How many people have died because of your anger!" Ferus responded. "How many times have you felt guilt because of their deaths!"

Anakin had the sudden urge to clobber Ferus, but instead marched angrily away from him.

Ferus stormed after him, intent on voicing what he thought. "You are blasted stubborn! Just because you are the so called 'chosen one' does not mean that you are right all the time!"

"You're not always right either!" Anakin shouted back, not breaking his pace or looking at Ferus.

Ferus and Anakin fell into a tense silence as they walked toward the Temple that was growing larger the closer they got. A couple of feet away they saw a young man sitting in meditation. When they got closer the young man came out of his meditation and looked up at them. The young man's eyes widened in shock and he scrambled to his feet.

"You're…you're…." The young man stuttered, still unable to believe what his eyes and the Force was telling him. "But how? You're both dead."

"We're from an alternative universe. We need to speak with the head of the order." Ferus spoke.

"Apparently since you know who we are, may we ask what your name is?" Anakin asked.

The young man quickly recovered his senses and made a short bow. "My name is Shifu, Shifu Skywalker, son of Kaleb Skywalker and Talia Olin. I will take you to Master Skywalker, my uncle." He turned and headed toward the Temple.

Anakin and Ferus briefly looked at each other, still stunned about who they had encountered.

"Well…" Ferus cleared his throat. "We are in an alternative timeline."

Anakin smiled, it was fun to see Ferus uncomfortable about something that went totally against his beliefs. "Hmm, I wonder who the lucky girl is?"

"We are in an alternative universe." Ferus repeated, but he couldn't keep a blush forming on his cheeks.

Anakin chuckled and followed Shifu. So Ferus did have a crush on someone. Interesting.

Ferus let out a heavy sigh and followed. This was going to be an interesting day.


	22. Chapter 22

"Sending Anakin and Ferus on an assignment together is not a good idea." Obi-Wan remarked after Ben had told them where Anakin and Ferus were going.

Ben shrugged his shoulders as he leaned his back against a tree. "It's a simple assignment." He stepped away from the tree and walked in the direction of the town. "We need to get going."

Reeft walked in-between Siri and Obi-Wan and spoke in a low voice so that Ben wouldn't hear. "Would going into town potentially be dangerous for the citizens if the dark one shows up?"

"Possibly. The dark one didn't really do anything, as far as I know, to the citizens in our timeline." Obi-Wan said. "Out here we're out in the open. I think what Ben is thinking is to remain unnoticed and keep watch. If the dark one shows up, then we track his movements."

Siri narrowed her eyes. "Wait. First of all we're in the timeline where the events Ben spoke of have already occurred. Would there be two dark ones then?"

Obi-Wan stopped walking. "Two? I'm not understanding what you mean."

Siri rolled her eyes and waited for Obi-Wan to catch back up to them. "Perhaps we should go back over this time-travel and alternative dimensions stuff."

"That won't be necessary thank you. There are too many questions on how time-travel and alternate dimensions work anyway. If you say two, then we'll keep that as a possibility.

"That's why it was a question, Obi-Wan."

"Hey guys," Reeft cut in, "Sorry to cut your banter short, but where did Ben go?"

Obi-Wan and Siri stopped walking and scanned the area ahead of them that was thick with fog. "I have a bad feeling about this." Obi-Wan said, his hand going for his lightsaber.

There was an eerie silence, the sounds of the birds flying overhead and singing in trees they passed had gone silent, but they couldn't sense any danger.

They ignited their lightsabers and stood back to back, keeping watch for whatever had caused the animals to go quiet. They had no warning as something large and black swept at them in a blink of an eye.

~*~*~

Shifu led Anakin and Ferus quickly into the Temple and into the first turbolift they came across. The Temple seemed like it was deserted, but with the Force they could sense numerous presences within the Temple.

"Where is everybody?" Anakin said once they entered the lift.

Shifu pressed the lower level button. "The Temple is in lockdown and everyone has taken defensive positions throughout the Temple. Only eight Jedi are on outside lookout duty."

"What has happened here to put the entire Temple into lockdown?" Ferus asked.

The lift door opened with barely a sound and they headed down another corridor.

"We've been under siege for three months and have had thirty-nine enemy attacks on the Temple." Shifu stated.

Anakin narrowed his eyes. "What siege? We have seen no evidence of this."

Shifu gave a hollow laugh. "No, but they're there. Have you noticed how different the Force feels since you've got here? How cold and quiet it is?"

Anakin frowned when he checked for himself and found that Shifu was correct.

They entered a medical ward and found several Jedi standing guard at one of the rooms. Shifu spoke to the one in charge of the group of guards and then they continued on after the guards moved aside for them.

Inside the room was a dark cloaked man sitting next to a medical cot. The person laying on the cot was hooked to various monitors that were steadily beeping. As they got closer, Anakin realized who the person laying there was. It was Ben.

Shifu walked up to the person wearing the black cloak and bowed. "Master Skywalker. There are two Jedi from the past here to see you."

The man in the black cloak stiffened and then stood, slowly turning to face the newcomers. Shifu moved to the edge of the doorway and waited.

The man was somewhat shorter than Anakin, around Padme's height. The man's blue eyes, like his own, looked up at him and silently studied Anakin.

"Where is he?" Master Skywalker said, his voice hard.

Somewhat taken aback by his tone of voice, Anakin spoke slowly, gauging the Master's reaction. "The Ben who brought us here is headed to the town with Obi-Wan, Siri, and Reeft."

Blue eyes narrowed and then the Master turned around to look down at Ben's still form and fixed his eyes on Ben's pale face. "This is not a game, Ben. It needs to end."

Anakin and Ferus glanced at each other, unsure what to make of the Master's words.

"Shifu, tell Kyp Durron to gather his group together, head into town, and bring back the Jedi that have come from the past."

Shifu bowed his head in a quick motion and then was out the door without a word.

The Master turned his attention back to Anakin and Ferus. "I don't believe you realize what you're up against."

"No, Master. I'm afraid we're still somewhat confused by what has been happening." Ferus said, earning a glare from Anakin.

The door slid open behind them and an elderly woman walked in. "Luke, Leia and Han have not made contact with us in over a week and you're sending Kyp's team on a different assignment?"

Luke stared coolly at the elderly women's angry face. "They are the only team available at the moment. It is vital that we get the other Jedi from the past to the Temple."

_Padme_. Anakin thought to himself.

"Do you have to send the whole group? Why not just three of them?" Padme asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm not making the same mistake I did last time, mother." Luke responded.

Padme glared at him. "Leia and Han were not missing last time."

Luke's eyes flashed. "They are perfectly capable of handling themselves. I am sure they can wait a couple of hours."

"And if they don't have a couple of hours?" Padme left the question hanging in the hair before leaving the room a couple seconds later, completely ignoring Anakin and Ferus.

"Could we be of some assistance?" Anakin asked.

"It's nothing to concern yourselves about. She's been over protective since father's death." Luke said and then turned away from them to study the readings on the monitors. "What did Ben tell you before he brought you and your companions to this time?"

"From what Ben has told us, it seems that every time he fails in his mission then he would make a time jump but the jumps caused side effects. He would only remember the life he had before the last jump and have fragments of memories from the past jumps, and the incident that led to the past jump. This planet and the abyss seem to be a key point in these jumps. He only vaguely remembers the incident before his first jump.

"All he can recall was his age and that his Master, father, and grandfather were with him. He remembered the results being his grandfather's death and him being unconscious. He saw this room that this Ben is lying in and his parents in a distraught state. Ben cannot recall what his mission is, but he knows that it somehow involves the dark one.

"In every jump Ben recalls less and Ben believes that the dark one is able to remember everything since the first jump was made. After seeing the damage being done to the Force because of these jumps, we decided to travel to the timeline where he first made the jump to find out why he is making these jumps, what his mission is." Anakin responded.

"A mission?" Luke shook his head. "He really doesn't remember." He turned back around to look at them. "Don't take everything Ben says to be truth. In fact, you would do well by not trusting him completely."

Anakin and Ferus inwardly frowned. "Why not?" Ferus asked.

"He told me so himself." Luke answered.


End file.
